


Survival

by meg_1287



Series: Being With you [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Children, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Humor, Lexa is not done saving the world, Luna is a savior, Married Clarke and Lexa, Praimfaya, Raven Is Stubborn, a bit of violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:07:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 60,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27964304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meg_1287/pseuds/meg_1287
Summary: Sequel to BEING WITH YOU.Now married and moms, Clarke and Lexa must deal with Praimfaya and find a way to save their people.
Relationships: Abby Griffin/Marcus Kane, Bellamy Blake/Echo, Clarke Griffin/Lexa, Luna/Raven Reyes, Octavia Blake/Lincoln
Series: Being With you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2048078
Comments: 24
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Being With You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11214984) by [meg_1287](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meg_1287/pseuds/meg_1287). 



> There're many chapter already posted because this sequel was once in the same story as Being With you. I wanted to divide them to attract more readers since the first part is so so.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter is a filling chapter. It helps build characters' relationships so you can understand dynamics. It's all lovely.

_9 years later_

Lexa and Callum were walking together in the woods. No one was talking. Total silence. A voluntary silence. It was the second time Lexa had taken Callum to hunt a real predator. He had already killed and caught squirrels and birds, but never big animals. The first time, Lexa had taken him for reconnaissance only. She had long wanted to bring Callum with her to hunt bigger animals, but Clarke had always refused. She thought Callum was still too young to kill a puma, for example. She had done it herself and the experience had traumatized her. Their son was only 9 years old and since both women grew up differently, they were often arguing. 

_Flashback_

_"Clarke, I need to talk to you."_

_Clarke, who was talking with Octavia on their house’s balcony, turned to look at her wife._

_"Yes?"_

_Lexa had just come back from downtown in Polis and she looked a bit tired. Still, she stopped before the stairs with her arms behind her back. Callum was coming toward her too. He ran to his house and quickly passed by his mother to go sit on Octavia’s legs._

_"Hi, Aunt O'.”_

_"Hi, Cal.”_

_"In private," added Lexa._

_Clarke raised an eyebrow and Octavia held back a smile. Clarke got up from the chair she was sitting on before going down the steps to follow Lexa further down the street. They waited until they were far enough away from their son to speak._

_"I want to bring Callum with me during tomorrow’s scavenger hunt," said Lexa._

_Clarke sighed as she crossed her arms._

_"This topic... again.”_

_"We wouldn’t talk about it if you would let me bring him, Clarke," replied Lexa. “Callum is old enough. He's capable of killing an animal, especially by my side.”_

_"Our son’s only nine, Lexa. I know you’ll keep him safe but you can’t predict how animals act.”_

_“I killed my first deer when I was seven. He’s old enough for me.”_

_Clarke rolled her eyes._

_"We're not talking about you, we're talking about Callum. Our little boy. He's sensitive and you know it”_

_"Yes, I know that. And as you say, he's_ our _boy. Our decisions are common. I've been listening to you for a long time, but now I know he's ready. We went for reconnaissance four days ago and I saw it with my own eyes. He's ready.”_

_Clarke passed her hand over her face, while Lexa sighed._

_"I'm sorry to hurt you, Clarke.”_

_"I know, but still, look at him," added the blonde, pointing towards their house._

_Lexa turned her gaze to her son and Octavia. She was listening to Callum speak with great gestures. Callum was someone who adapted very well to all situations. He was used to official meetings. He knew how to behave. Be calm and speak well. He loved to fight and train with his mother and he also spent time with Clarke in the clinic to watch her treat people._

_But he also knew how to let go of his "professional" behaviour as he did with his aunt, family or friends. He was nine years old and was making the most of his nine years. He had his sensitive side that Clarke and her friends had taught him. But like his mother Lexa, he could easily block his emotions when they could hurt others. Callum admired Lexa the most. He knew all she had done with the Coalition and the Clans and she was her hero. He wanted to be strong like her._

_The two women were still looking at their son and Octavia and suddenly Callum stopped talking to his aunt to look at his mothers. They smiled and he jumped from the brunette's legs to run towards Clarke and Lexa. They frowned but put a smile on their faces._

_"Mom! Nomon!”_

_Callum finally came by their side._

_"So am I going to hunt with nomom?" he asked Clarke cheerfully._

_The latter opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She would have said no, but her son's gaze prevented her from doing so. Clarke turned her head to Lexa, who too had soft eyes. She had a little victory smile and Clarke rolled her eyes._

_"Okay. You can go.”_

_"Yes!”_

_Callum raised his hand to clap Lexa’s. The brunette clapped his hand and Callum immediately left for the house._

_"Callum,” called Lexa._

_He stopped running and turned around again._

_"Yes?"_

_Lexa raised an eyebrow and nodded toward Clarke. Callum opened his mouth before returning to see his mother._

_“Thank you, Mommy!" He said and hugged her tightly._

_Clarke smiled as she strokes his hair._

* * *

Callum widened his eyes as he hit his mother in the ribs. Lexa frowned as she looked at her son. 

"What? she whispered. 

Callum replied by pointing further at a baby deer. 

"Good job, Cal.” 

Callum's face lit up. 

"I'll leave it to you. You know what to do. You take your bow, aim, take a good breath and let go of the arrow.” 

Callum nodded. 

"Okay.” 

Callum began by taking a deep breath. Lexa stepped back a little to give him room and look at his technique. Callum stretched out his arm, pulling on the arrow. He blew a strand of hair that fell on his face before resuming his focus on the deer in front of him. 

He aimed as best as he could before finally letting go of the arrow. It missed the target and the baby deer ran away. 

“No!” 

A tiny smile appeared on Lexa’s face. 

"Mom! I missed it!” he said. 

"It doesn't matter, Callum. You’ll learn from your mistakes. You'll make it next time. And if you don’t, it will be the next and so on. You have to be patient.” 

Callum nodded as he put his bow behind his back. 

"You're right. And I didn't take a good breath as you told me and I think my elbow was not high enough.” 

“You already notice your mistakes and it is this attitude that you must have. I'm proud of you." 

Callum smiled and opened his arms to hug his mother. He made his mom proud and for that, he was the happiest he could be. 

* * *

_Chrismas_

“Clarke! Where are the other wine bottles?" asked Octavia on her way back from the kitchen. 

Clarke and Lexa's house was full. All their family and friends were there. It was Christmas. A few years after Clarke and Lexa’s wedding, Skaikru brought this tradition to Polis and the Clans. They wanted them to experience different holidays and they wanted to share their beliefs since the Grounders had long stopped celebrating Christmas years before. Still, not all the Clans celebrated the holiday but a few adopted it and they all bonded together. They didn't exchange gifts and the goal was not about religion, but only to be reunited for an evening, to let go of council manners without worrying. To get closer. 

The couple had moved to a bigger house. Although Lexa and Clarke only had Callum as an only child, they often received over. Sometimes, when Octavia and Lincoln wanted to have a quiet evening on their own, they would send their twins to sleep at Lexa and Clarke's. 

The two sisters, Aurora, her first name dedicated to Octavia's mother, and Irene, were seven years old and got along very well with Callum. He was considered their cousin. 

"They are in the ice bucket O'," replied Clarke, pointing to the bucket. 

Octavia raised her thumb in the air as she took a bottle of wine. Clarke raised an eyebrow. 

"You should slow down on alcohol," she laughed. “You won't go through the evening if you don't.” 

The brunette shrugged. 

"I know how to drink Clarke.” 

"Uh-hmmm...” 

Octavia went back to the living room where the others were. Clarke finished putting the last vegetables in a bowl and finally went into the living room to enjoy the evening again. 

“Finally! My stomach was starting to eat itself.” 

Clarke smiled at Jasper's comment. Monty supported his comment with a nod. Clarke raised an eyebrow and smiled before heading back to her wife. 

Lexa was talking with Octavia and Raven. Clarke's two closest friends had become the best friends Lexa had in her life. Her former life with constant war had prevented her from really enjoying life and friendship. But now that most conflicts were settled, that Skaikru was respected and the "blood must have blood" mantra was gone, Lexa was free. She was still Heda, but nothing was the same. 

Clarke saw the bottle of wine that Octavia had come to take in Lexa's hands. She poured herself a very large glass of red wine before passing the bottle to Raven. 

"What are you talking about?" asked Clarke, standing near Lexa to put her arm around her waist. 

The brunette's smile grew when she felt Clarke’s arm around her. 

“We were saying that the wine was not strong enough. It's the third bottle of wine between the three of us and we feel almost nothing!"

Clarke raised an eyebrow. 

“Grounder’s ale is indeed stronger, but all three of you are getting drunk, let me tell you.” 

Raven, who had the bottle in hand, pointed it at Clarke. 

"And you are not enough drunk! Sorry, Lexa, but your wife is a pain in the ass.” 

Lexa shrugged, smiling. 

"You’re not telling me anything new, Raven.” 

Clarke opened her mouth, while the others laughed. Her open mouth turned into a smile before taking the bottle from Raven’s hands to drink directly from the bottle. 

“Clarke! What are those manners?" asked Abby. 

Clarke choked on the wine and Raven took the bottle from her, while she and the others laughed again. Lexa handed her a tissue to help her clean her face, while her mother-in-law waited for Clarke to speak. 

“Mom... It's the girls, they...” 

Abby nodded while looking disappointed. She knew Clarke and she just wanted to mess with her. Still, Clarke looked guilty. Callum arrived with Aurora and Irene. The twins went to each of their mothers' legs, while Callum frowned standing in front of Clarke. 

"Why do you have wine everywhere, mom?" 

“I would love to film your face, Griffin,” said Raven. 

"Shut up!" retorted Clarke. 

Callum frowned and Abby stroked his curly hair. 

"Don't listen to your mother, Cal. It's Christmas and wine makes her say things she shouldn’t.” 

"You should always listen to me. Alcohol doesn’t change my behaviour,” added Lexa who knew her comment would only make others laugh. 

Callum smiled. 

"Heda succeeds in everything," added Indra who had listened to their conversation. 

"Why is everyone against me all of a sudden?" asked Clarke, raising her hands in the air. 

Everyone laughed and Lexa kissed her on the cheek. 

"Because it's funny," she whispered in her ear. 

Clarke rolled her eyes. 

“I liked it when it was only Titus.” 

And in these words, everyone laughed. 

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and sleep?" asked Clarke. 

"Yes, thank you," replied Echo. “We're going to walk back to Skaikru guest house.” 

Clarke nodded and Bellamy took Echo's hand. 

“Be careful on the way home.” 

"I'm safer with her than with my bow," said Bellamy. 

Echo smiled and Clarke quickly kissed them goodnight before letting them go. She closed the door and turned to see Lexa. 

“It's a shame they won’t stay.” 

Lexa shrugged. 

“Even if everything is fine between Echo and me, it is still awkward, Clarke.” 

"I know and I understand.” 

"Callum is in his pyjamas and in our bed," said Lexa. 

“Good.” 

"Everyone else is either back in their house or sleeping in their bedroom," added Lexa. “It's just you and me.” 

Clarke nodded before following Lexa into their room. Callum was lying down with his eyes closed and Clarke laughed. 

"Don't pretend to sleep, little boy," said Clarke. 

Their son opened his eyes before sitting on the big bed. 

“I'm happy I can sleep with you!” 

"But don't get into a habit," said Lexa. 

Callum pouted and his mothers went into the bathroom for a few minutes to change before returning to their room for the night. Callum was lying in the middle of the bed and Clarke and Lexa didn’t wait to lay down on each side. Callum was caught between his two mothers. Each of them kissed one side of his face and held his arms. 

Soon, all the candles were blown out and the little family was cuddling. Callum was soon sleeping and Lexa and Clarke were just looking lovingly at each other. 

"I love you.” 

"I love you too.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Praimfaya's coming and they don't know it yet.

_4 years later_

Clarke slowly opened her eyes. The sunlight coming from the window was shining directly on her sleeping face. She barely looked at the open curtain before she swore after Lexa. The brunette had been getting up early these past few days to train with their son, Callum, and she had the bad habit, according to Clarke, of opening the window curtains to look outside. She had always loved to watch the rising sun and see the weather before anything else. Clarke thought it was a bad habit because Lexa never closed the curtains before she left, so when the sun was high enough in the sky, it would shine over a sleeping Clarke. 

Clarke stretched every bone from head to toe before rubbing her eyes and looking by the window. The sun was dark orange and still low in the sky. It was just above the other houses of Polis. She knew it was still early. She got up from the bed and changed from her pyjamas to her day clothes. She then went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea and eat dry beef. The solar energy system had advanced and developed more over the years and as with Arkadia's Rovers, the energy was gained and piled up to be used at night too. Showers had also improved thanks to Raven's genius. 

She was one of the few of Clarke’s friends who was still single. After Wick, she had dated a few other guys, but she had never settled into a real serious relationship. But over the years, Raven had decided to give up her love life to focus on work. She loved what she did and when she didn't spend her time working, she read books that the Grounders brought her to broaden her knowledge. Her leg was still motionless and stubborn as she is, Raven was trying, day after day, to improve her brace, but failed to do so. 

Once the tea was ready, Clarke went outside on the porch to sit and watch the city growing busier. The merchants were already outside and she tried, to distract herself, to identify which clan each person belonged to until her family arrived. Callum was the first she saw. He was now fourteen years old and for Clarke and Lexa, he was growing up too fast. They were always nostalgic about the old days. 

Clarke watched her son run towards her. Callum had his hand on the handle of his sword at his waist, in addition to a wooden bow behind his back and Clarke thought of the first moment when Lexa and she had seen their son take his first steps. 

_Flashback, 10 years earlier_

_“Lexa! You should open a window! I can smell the beef from the bathroom!” shouted Clarke._

_“It's almost cooked! It won't take long!” retorted Lexa._

_Lexa hurried to turn the meat over in the pan, once more, before removing it and covering it to keep the heat. She then went to open the window which was a little further away and saw the smoke coming out of the room quietly._

_“Mama.”_

_Lexa turned to Callum. Earlier, she had put him a little further in the room with a few toys to keep an eye on him, while Clarke had gone to take a bath. Lexa was now looking at Callum, who had stood up leaning on a chair. Lexa's smile grew considerably as she looked at her son standing. Callum was nine months old now and he was getting up more and more by himself. Both mothers were very impressed. Abby had said to them that the average first steps were at twelve months old and that most babies' speaking ability increased considerably after the first year of life as well. But she also told them that each child was different and many started walking before twelve months._

_Lexa knelt beside her son and clapped her hands._

_“That’s great, Callum! Mama's proud of you!”_

_Lexa always had that little voice when she was speaking to Callum and she surprised herself with that attitude._

_Callum held out one of his hands to grip his mother’s. He smiled and slowly released his grip from the chair. He turned gradually toward his mother and Lexa opened her mouth. Callum let out a little high-pitched cry with a smile, and Lexa recoiled slightly, slowly letting go of his hand. Callum raised both arms in the air to help himself balance and Lexa widened her eyes._

_“CLARKE!”_

_Clarke rapidly rose from the bathtub and some water splashed on the floor._

_"What?” she exclaimed._

_"COME HERE! FAST!”_

_Lexa clapped her hands to cheer their son and Callum slowly began to walk towards his mother._

_“FASTER CLARKE!”_

_Clarke was already running down the hallway to the kitchen. She almost slipped on the water as she was adjusting her towel on her body. She finally arrived and as she saw her son, she automatically forgot the state she was in. She saw Callum walking and her biggest smile appeared._

_“Lexa! He’s walking!"_

_“I know, Clarke!”_

_Clarke went to kneel by Lexa, who had her arms open, ready to welcome their son. Callum took three more steps before finally falling into his mother's arms. Lexa brought him back against her chest and Clarke surrounded them both with her arms._

_"Your moms are proud of you, Cal!” murmured Clarke as she backed away from the hug._

_She stroked his hair and Lexa lifted him in the air. The three family members couldn't be happier._

_End of flashback_

"Good morning," said Clarke, as Callum arrived at the bottom of the porch. 

"Good morning!" he replied, removing his bow from his back to put it against the steps of the porch. “Nomon's coming in a few minutes. She told me she was going to talk to Gaia before she got home.” 

Clarke nodded. Titus died three years earlier and it was Gaia, Indra's daughter, who had taken over the title of Fleimkepa. 

“Did the training go well?” 

Callum nodded as he climbed the steps to sit on a chair next to his mother. 

“I'm getting better with the bow. Nomon decided to go train in the forest this morning.” 

Clarke raised an eyebrow. 

“In the forest? What for?” 

“She wanted to simulate a chase.” 

Clarke frowned and Callum already knew that his mother didn't think it was a good idea. He automatically tried to calm his mother. 

"It was fine! She told me to run while paying close attention to where I went and where I step and she told me that she would follow my tracks and that I should be ready to fight back at any time! I learned, Mom.” 

Clarke nodded. 

“Nomon found me after a few minutes. The problem is not that I'm noisy, but that I don't look enough where I run. So I left my tracks.” 

Clarke had a thought for Anya. 

"I'm sure your mother taught you what to do.” 

Callum nodded with a smile and Clarke opened her arm to signal him to come near her. Callum got up and leaned to hug her. Clarke put her hand in his hair. She thought Callum had the most beautiful hair in the world. They were light brown, but they were curly like Lexa’s. 

Callum had learned the customs of each of his mother’s clan and knew full well that he was sharing Trikru and Skaikru values. He knew that as Heda's son, he had to be strong, he needed to be charismatic and he had to be able to fight and not show his emotions in public. He knew Lexa was serious in the role of commander and he didn’t take it personally when she was lacking affection. But he loved it when she was just duty-free and when she would hug him publicly. He would do everything not to displease anyone. 

He was the first one to see Lexa walk towards them and he withdrew from Clarke's embrace to stand near her. Clarke quickly knew what it was all about and she smiled slightly before watching Lexa come towards them. 

"Good morning," said Lexa, walking up the steps of the porch. 

"Good morning, darling," smiled Clarke. 

Callum recoiled a little to give his mothers some space. Clarke got up and went to Lexa to give her a quick kiss. 

"You've got a lot of dirt on your face," she said. 

Lexa shrugged and Clarke tried to remove some of it from Lexa’s cheek. 

"Callum, you should take a shower. This week's council starts in an hour.” 

Callum nodded before taking his bow to go inside his house. Clarke laughed. 

"What?" asked Lexa, frowning. 

“You need to take a shower too.” 

Lexa had a slight smile before taking an interrogative expression. 

"I’m surprised to see you already up.” 

Clarke had a sarcastic laugh. 

"You left the curtain open. Again.” 

Lexa had a guilty expression. 

"Oups... Sorry.” 

“Uh-uh,” said Clarke with a raised eyebrow. 

The two women looked at each other for a few more seconds before kissing again. 

* * *

Twelve out of thirteen ambassadors were present for this week's council. The ambassador of Floukru, Luna’s clan, was not present. Marcus was sitting in the Skaikru chair. A few months after Clarke and Lexa got married, the other clans didn’t like the idea that the commander's wife was the Skaikru ambassador. They didn't want Lexa to be biased. Lexa wasn’t happy that they were doubting her leading abilities but Clarke didn't feel bothered by the decision and had preferred to give her place to Marcus. He had always been very involved in grounders politics and the ambassadors already liked him. Clarke knew he could only thrive and be happy with this role. He was in Polis for three days a minimum every week. Abby would sometimes follow him to Polis so she could spend time with Clarke and Callum and partially work in the city clinics with her daughter. Many other doctors and nurses were in Arkadia. Over thirteen years, Abby and Jackson had taught former teenagers the job. 

Clarke was still present during most of the meetings, but she was not actively involved. She did not vote and did not share her thoughts. Callum also attended every meeting but remained on the top floor as an observer with the Natblita. 

"To not receive a message from Floukru is disrespectful," said the Rockline ambassador. 

“Disrespect is not the biggest problem. The fact that it’s not in their habit is.” corrected Lexa. 

The ambassadors nodded. 

“Let's start with the comments and requests of each clan. Podakru.” (Lake Clan). 

“Recently we’ve had several cases of sick people.” 

"Keep going," said Lexa. 

“We don't know where the problem comes from, but our healers are getting busier. They have their hands full and they can’t keep up with the daily injuries. We would like to get some help.” 

"How many healers would you need?" asked Lexa. 

“We asked ours and they told us two.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow before looking at each clan. 

“Boudalankru (Mountain Clan). You are one of the clans with the most healers. You'll send one of your healers to Podakru within two days.” 

The ambassador nodded. 

“Skaikru.” 

Marcus turned his gaze to Lexa. 

"Yes?” 

“Send one of your doctors with them. It might be helpful to have other kinds of knowledge to find the source of the problem.” 

"Of course, Commander. Our Chancellor Abby and Doctor Eric Jackson are busy with surgeries, but I will send James. He completed his training two years ago.” 

"I trust you, Ambassador," said Lexa. 

"Can we know what symptoms your people are suffering?" asked Marcus. 

“Most people vomit. Some of them vomit blood and our healers have observed red patches on their skin.” 

"Are there any deaths?" asked the desert ambassador. 

"Yes. A few died but even though there are still sick ones, they don’t seem to heal.” 

"Good. I thank the healers who will go with Podakru. Trishanakru (Clan of the GLowing Forest), what are your demands? 

The rest of the council went off without any problems and after nearly an hour, Lexa adjourned the meeting. The ambassadors all stood up and bowed to Lexa before leaving the room with Gaia.

Indra was the only one to stay with Clarke, Callum and Lexa.

"Heda, are you worried?" asked Indra. 

Lexa shrugged before turning to Clarke. 

"Do you recognize the symptoms?" 

“Hard to say without knowing the source of the problem. Vomiting could have come from the flu or food poisoning, but bleeding and red marks don't make me safe. Bleeding may be caused by an ulcer or liver problem. It’s hard to say.” 

"What about the red marks?" asked Indra. 

"I should ask my mother,” answered Clarke. 

Lexa nodded before looking at Callum. The young boy was standing behind her with his hands behind his back and he was watching the exchanges between the three women. Lexa smiled when she saw him. Callum was a very discreet and observant boy and he took his title of the Commander’s son very seriously. Lexa thought he was adorable and she recognized herself in him. 

“Lexa?” 

The brunette turned her head towards her wife. 

"Yes, Clarke?” 

"I'm going to the clinic.” 

Lexa nodded. 

“I have to go see the Natblita and Gaia. I'll meet you in two hours.” 

"Okay. Callum, are you coming with me?” 

The concerned nodded, smiling. Clarke touched Lexa's arm before leaving, a small sign of affection, and Callum leaned slightly as a bow before following his mother. The doors closed and Indra smiled. 

"Your son will always make me laugh, Heda," said Indra. "He looks like you. When you were young and Anya and I watched you train and prepare for the councils.” 

“Family is not just blood. Callum is nothing like Azgeda. The love we share makes the family.” 

Indra nodded as she thought of Octavia. Before she got to make amends with Gaia, Octavia was the daughter Indra always wanted. Octavia had also found in Indra a comforting maternal figure. 

"Clarke said that?" asked Indra, referring to what Lexa had just said. 

"No. People are evolving, Indra," replied Lexa. “You've evolved. Clarke has evolved. I've evolved... and who would have thought that?” 

Indra laughed. 

"Nobody. I'm going to go find Octavia and the twin, She asked me to teach them how to defend. 

"Doesn’t she do it herself?" asked Lexa, frowning. 

“The twins don't listen to her and she thinks they'll be more intimidated if I train them.” 

Lexa nodded before watching Indra leave. She was alone for a few seconds before going out to see the Nightbloods. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, short and sweet and you got to see more or young teenager Callum. Our married couple is still happy and thriving and I hope you love how I explained Clarke's situation in Polis and how Callum is and his personality :)
> 
> Let me know what you thought :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Arkadia turns into a nightmare for our beloved family when Luna's clan arrives.

"Are you thinking about staying here?" asked Clarke with a raised eyebrow. 

She was getting ready to go to bed, while Lexa was facing the mirror to unbraid her hair. 

"I don't have a choice, Clarke," replied Lexa, looking at her through the mirror. “With the healers sent to the Podakru, I have to stay in Polis to receive the information.” 

Clarke sighed slightly. 

“You can ask Gaia or Indra to take the messages. You haven't seen my mother in almost a month!” 

Lexa sighed and Clarke dropped herself on the bed. 

“Callum’s coming with me. He wants to see his grandmother and I think a few days in Arkadia could do us some good.” 

"Some good?” repeated Lexa. “Aren’t we already good?” 

Clarke rolled her eyes. 

"You know what I mean, Lexa. I mean that a little family getaway wouldn't hurt us. Callum spends his time training or following politics.” 

"Or he’s with you in the clinic," added Lexa. 

Clarke smiled. 

“You’re right. That's why I think it would be important for him to relax. You too, by the way.” 

Lexa did not answer and Clarke rose from the bed to stand behind her wife. She pushed the brunette's hands to continue undoing the braids herself. 

"You can always send the messages to Arkadia instead of here," suggested the blonde. 

Lexa smiled. 

"You want me to come with you?" 

Clarke looked up to look into Lexa’s eyes through the mirror and she slowly nodded her head in response. Lexa felt the last braid unravel and she turned to face Clarke. She had the reflex to step back to give Lexa space, but the brunette grabbed her arms to hold her in place. They shared the same breath and Lexa dropped her gaze to Clarke's lips. 

“We must take advantage of this last night alone here because there’s no way that we are intimate once in Arkadia.” 

Clarke smiled under Lexa's words and she kisses her on the lips. 

"That's the only reason we're going to have sex?" asked Clarke with a smirk. “Because my mom's going to be there?” 

“No, be-” 

A longer kiss, this time, was exchanged between the two and slowly Lexa pushed Clarke back to their bed. 

“Because... You are my wife... And I desire you... I want you to come and make me come.” she said and with each pause came a long kiss. 

Clarke's breath stopped under her words and a familiar beating began to take its place between her two thighs. 

“Lexa…” 

She smiled before diving on Clarke's lips. The blonde's legs met the bed and she felt on it, dragging her wife with her. They positioned themselves comfortably in the middle of the bed and Lexa respected her wish. She made Clarke feel good and the blonde made her see the sky in return. 

* * *

"I'm so glad to see you, darling!” exclaimed Abby, as she watched Clarke get down from her horse. 

Lexa, Callum and she, with Ryder who was still Lexa's guard, had just arrived in Arkadia. Everyone had already been alerted. Guards, farmers and kids were looking in their direction and Clarke was happy that she no longer had to think that her people were disdainfully looking at them. After so many years, the Coalition was stronger than ever with the Skaikru and Lexa was seen as a courageous, respectable and fearsome woman, but also as a compassionate person. 

"I'm happy to see you too, mom.” 

“Two weeks is way too long,” complained Abby, taking her daughter in her arms for a big hug. 

Clarke smiled, while Lexa and Callum gave their respective horses to some guards. Abby and Clarke stood apart and Abby went to meet her daughter-in-law and grandson, while Clarke went to see Miller, Bryan, Monty and Harper near the fence. 

“Callum!” smiled Abby before widening her eyes. “You've grown so much in only two weeks.” 

Lexa smiled proudly and Callum went into his grandmother's arms. 

"Thank you, Grandma. I’m not a kid anymore.” 

"You'll soon catch up with your mothers.” 

Callum laughed as he backed away and Lexa put her hand on her son's shoulder. 

"You may be almost taller than me, Cal, but you won't intimidate me," she joked. “And I speak as your mother, not your commander.” 

Callum and Abby laughed and the Chancellor put her arm on Lexa's. 

"I'm glad to see you again, Lexa. I hadn't seen you in almost a month.” 

"I know and I'm sorry, Abby. I had important meetings to attend.” 

"I understand. Don't worry.” 

Lexa nodded and Abby dropped her arm. 

"I'm planning a big meal tonight with Clarke's friends. Marcus and Sinclair will be there, too of course." 

"That’s a good idea. We’re grateful.” 

"Will Jordan be there?" asked Callum. 

Jordan was Monty and Harper’s son. Harper had become pregnant two years after Clarke and Lexa's wedding, almost at the same time as Octavia. Jordan was eleven years old and he and Callum got along very well. 

"He will be there, darling," replied Abby. “You can even go see him right now. His class has just finished the farming course.” 

Callum nodded and waved at his mother before heading toward his friend. He knew his ways in Arkadia perfectly and to him, it was like his second home. 

“Abby!” called Jackson. 

The concerned turned to Jackson who was walking toward her. 

"Yes?" 

“Our patient is ready for surgery.” 

Jackson looked up and smiled at Lexa. 

“Sorry if I interrupted your conversation. Good morning, Commander.” 

Lexa smiled. 

"Good morning, Jackson. And you didn't bother anything. I'm going to join Clarke.” 

"Okay," said Abby. “Surgery should be completed before we eat. I'll see you later.” 

Abby and Jackson left together and Lexa went to meet Clarke and her friend. 

"Great conversation with my mother?" asked Clarke once Lexa was beside her. 

“Some banalities. She left with Jackson to do a surgery.” 

Clarke nodded. 

"Callum went to join your son," said Lexa at Harper and Monty. 

"These two spend all their time together when they see each other," smiled Harper. 

"They are no different from Jasper and me on the Ark," said Monty. 

"And even today," added Nate. 

Everyone laughed. 

"Anyone know where Raven is?" asked Clarke. 

"She must be in the mechanic room," replied Monty. “There are some problems with frequencies these days.” 

"We'll let you work then. We're going to go say hello to Raven.” 

Clarke looked at Lexa and Lexa nodded, smiling. Lexa got along well with everyone, but she had built a friendship with Octavia and Raven the most. 

Clarke and Lexa entered the mechanic room and Raven did not bother to raise her head from the thing she was trying to fix. 

“Finally here to help me, Sinclair?” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow, while Clarke smiled. 

"Sad to see that you don't even recognize your friends anymore," replied Clarke. 

Raven finally raised her head, frowning, before smiling. 

"I didn't know you'd be here so soon!” 

"Clarke insisted on leaving earlier than expected," said Lexa. 

Clarke elbowed her wife into her ribs and Raven had a slight laugh before getting up from her chair. Clarke and Lexa hugged her for a few seconds. 

“Abby! Jackson! Someone’s there? We need medical help immediately! A group of Grounders approach and they’re crying for help.” 

Lexa turned her head towards Clarke, frowning. 

"What's going on Nathan?" asked Abby through the radio. “I'm about to go into surgery.” 

"There are ten of them. Grounders. They’re asking for help!... Wait!... It's Niko! Niko is with them!” 

Raven, Clarke and Lexa looked at each other one after the other. 

"What the hell is going on?" asked Raven. 

Lexa did not bother to answer. She turned around in a quarter of a second before leaving the room. Clarke called her, but Lexa was already far away in the halls of Arkadia. Clarke swore and she beckoned Raven to follow her. The brunette took the radio with her and followed Clarke with a quick step. 

Lexa was already outside and she was running through Arkadia to make her way to the gates. They were open and guards were ordering to a few workers and children not to approach. 

“Commander!” called Harper, knowing full well that Lexa was always called by her title of commander in public. “Don't come any closer! They look contaminated.” 

Lexa didn’t listen. She walked by her and stopped when she saw Luna's clan and herself in person. 

“Luna.” 

“LEXA!” called Clarke who was running towards her. 

The blonde finally reached her height, with Raven following with a few seconds behind. Clarke let her gaze fall on each person. They were ten. They all had huge red patches on their faces and arms. They were pale and Clarke and Lexa understood. 

Luna was holding a young girl in her arms and she barely looked up when she heard her name. Lexa knelt beside her and gently took her hand. 

“Why laik yu hurt?”(Why are you hurt?) 

“En's stedaunon. Osir laik the only survivor.” (Everyone is dead. We are the only survivors) 

“Yu don't be attack?” (You were attacked?) 

"No," replied Luna. 

Everyone frowned and Clarke spoke. 

“These are the same symptoms that the ambassador of Podakru mentioned.” 

Lexa dropped Luna's hand to get up, a harsh and restless expression on her face. She had some idea of what it might be, but she preferred not to speak. 

"I'm here!” exclaimed Abby when she arrived with one of her nurses. “Oh my God," she said upon seeing the ten Grounders. 

“Abby! We have to take them to the infirmary!” said Raven. 

The Chancellor quickly nodded. 

“Guards, help us. Clear the way and help us bring them inside,” ordered Abby. 

"We're going to help them too!” added Clarke, already taking a woman under her arm. 

Abby nodded and they all walked inside. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some learn the truth and someone won't accept it. 
> 
> SeaMechanic is beginning in this chapter although it's still baby steps.

“What is it? What's going to happen to them?” 

Abby looked up at Raven. The doctor had been looking at Grounders' blood sample for a few minutes now and the others were waiting for an answer. 

"I already know what they have.” 

"Lexa is talking about radiation," whispered Raven. 

Abby rubbed her forehead with a sigh, while Raven crossed her arms on her chest. 

"It's true, then?" 

“Yes, Raven."

"I thought the Earth was viable?” 

"It was! And it still is!” retorted Abby. “We can't panic about this until we know more. We don’t even know where all this radiation’s coming from.” 

Raven frowned. 

“I know you want calm and control, but if all of this is serious and dangerous enough to threaten people's lives, you have to say it, Abby! You can't hide a truth like that! Clarke mentioned that there were other people like that in Podakru.” 

“Raven, stop!” ordered the Chancellor. “I don't want you to tell anyone! It's not worth scaring people if you don't really know what we're dealing with.” 

"You have the blood tests, don't you?" said Raven. “You know exactly what we're talking about.” 

Abby sighed and rubbed her forehead once more. She was tired and even though she loved Raven like her second daughter, the girl was a pain in the ass for her right now. 

_How can I have a biological daughter and an “adoptive” daughter both so stubborn?_

“That's not the point.” she finally said. 

"You're right," retorted Raven. “The most important thing here is to save these people.” 

"We can't.” 

Raven was about to retaliate, but Clarke entered Abby’s office. 

"You can't what?" she asked. 

Lexa was right behind her and she frowned while waiting for the answer. 

"We can't save them.” 

"It's ridiculous. Talk some sense into your mother!” ordered Raven. “You're also a doctor, you know there's a solution!” 

Clarke opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Instead, she looked at her mother, who had an undone look. Clarke turned her gaze back to Raven and she saw that Clarke thought the same as Abby. 

“It's all nonsense! I'm getting out of here!” 

The mechanic walked out of the room with quick steps, leaving the three women with a heavy silence. 

"Clarke," said Lexa, "There must be a solution, right?" 

The blonde turned to her to touch her arm. 

“Lexa, I... My mother is right. We can't do anything about radiation. We don’t have the equipment. We never had it and never will.” 

"We can't let these people die!" persisted Lexa. “Clarke, you're always the first to fight to save someone. You've always done it. Don't give up now, because you don't have the technology.” 

"Lexa," said Abby, "You have seen the vomiting, the fever, the patches on the skin. Luna’s entire clan almost died in just two days. And twelve people died on the way to come here. And another died in less than an hour after arriving here. We _are_ facing a horrible and sad reality, I know. But nothing we have done so far in the previous year has worked.” 

"So you're giving up?" replied Lexa. 

"It's not giving up. It's facing reality. The radiation level in their blood exceeds ours by more than 10%. They will soon all die. And the only thing we can do is to accompany them to this inevitable death. Make it nice. I'm sorry, Lexa.” 

The brunette had wet eyes. Luna was her friend. She had trained with her as a child to become a commander. Luna may have left the conclave, but Lexa had always respected her and her clan. She had been the first peaceful person in her life. 

Lexa left with one last look towards Abby and Clarke. Clarke let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, while Abby dropped on her chair. 

"I know Luna is also your friend, Clarke, but-” 

"It's okay. I understand. I... I just want to find out how to stop other people from dying.” she said before one single tear rolled on her cheek. 

* * *

Callum entered the infirmary for the first time since Luna's arrival. He hadn't been aware of the situation and blamed himself for not being there to help. He quickly spotted Lexa, sitting near Luna and a young girl, and he slowly walked towards them. Lexa saw her son arrive and she gave him a faint smile. 

"Hey, Cal.” 

"Hi, _nomon_ _._ Can I help?” 

Lexa nodded slightly. 

"Could you bring me a wet towel, please?" 

Callum nodded and quickly carried out the task. He had come to help and that is what he would do. He quickly returned to his mother and Lexa thanked him. 

"You can put it on her forehead," she said, referring to Luna. “It's going to help lower the fever a little bit.” 

Callum nodded before slowly placing the wet towel on Luna's forehead. She gave him a faint smile. 

“Thank you, Callum. You know... In my memories, you were not as tall.” 

Callum smiled slightly. 

“I’ve grown up.” 

"Yes," said Luna. “Like Adria.” 

Callum turned his head to the blonde girl lying near Luna. Her breathing was laborious and Callum noticed for the first time how serious the situation was. 

"What's going on?" he asked his mother. 

The brunette sighed. She didn't want to talk about it around them. She looked into the room and Raven entered at the same time. 

“Raven,” called Lexa. “Can you come?” 

She walked towards them and Lexa got up from her chair. 

"Could you take my place near Luna and Adria?" murmured Lexa. “I don’t want them to be alone.” 

"What do you want me to do?" asked Raven. 

“Sit down and talk.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow but nodded positively. Lexa whispered a "thank you" to her before waving to her son to follow her out of the room. Raven stood in front of Luna before sitting down, a little uncomfortable. 

"You didn't have to accept," said Luna. 

Both women encountered each other before but never too long. Raven turned her head towards her, frowning. 

“I can't really say no to Lexa.” 

Luna laughed. 

"I didn't know you were afraid of her.” 

Raven frowned. 

"I'm not afraid of Lexa," she defended herself. “My name’s just not Clarke.” 

Luna had another laugh and the noise made Raven relax. 

"Seriously, I don't mind," said the mechanic. “I understand what she wanted. I wouldn't want my friend to be alone, even though...” 

She did not finish her sentence and Luna had a slight smile. 

“Even though she is about to die? You can say it. I am not afraid of death.” 

"You're not?” 

"No. The waves are going to take me with them. I belong to the sea. I give myself to the miracle of the sea.” 

Raven felt a strange feeling invading her body. She didn’t though of death that positively. 

"It's... a nice way of looking at it.” 

"Are you afraid of death?" asked Luna. 

Raven had a funny laugh. 

"No. I've seen death up close. It doesn't scare me anymore.” 

Luna raised an eyebrow and Raven pointed her leg. 

“My leg only is a long story.” 

"I have all my time," replied Luna. 

* * *

"Are you hungry?" asked Lexa to Callum, as they left the infirmary. 

"Yes," replied the young boy. 

“We’ll go to the cafeteria and we're going to sit down and eat.” 

"And you're going to explain what’s happening?" 

Lexa nodded and greeted the people she met on her way to the cafeteria. Once there, the mother and son went to get an apple and some protein each and Lexa walked to a deserted table. Callum sat in front of his mother and the two took the time to chew on their fruit for the first time before speaking. 

"Do you remember Praimfaya? What your mother and I explained to you,” asked the brunette. 

“Of course!” exclaimed Callum. “The nuclear attack that created this world. Which has led us here.” 

Lexa smiled. 

“This story is part of our culture." 

"I know," said Callum. “And 97 years later, Grandma and Marcus and Thelonius sent 100 delinquents, including mom and Aunt Octavia and Bellamy and the others here to see if it was viable.” 

"I'm glad to see you're listening," smiled Lexa to tease him a little. 

She knew very well that Callum loved history. He asked a lot of questions about the past of his mothers or the people he was close to, and Lexa often brought him with her to read historical books that were still in good condition. 

“Of course I listen, _nomon_ _._ But what is the connection with Luna and her clan?” 

Lexa sighed. 

“I believe that a second Praimfaya will soon arrive. And there's nothing we can do about it, unfortunately.” 

“Nothing to do?” 

“No... That's what your grandmother and mother say. We can only be by their sides and bring them peacefully to their death.” 

"But what about us?” exclaimed Callum. “If Luna is sick, we can also be sick! You told me that Luna's clan was the clan of peace. Where everyone was safe from death. If it's one of the first to get sick, then we can too.” 

Lexa sighed at her son's reaction. 

“I'm sorry.” 

Callum brought his hand to his face, obvious sadness on his face. He wanted a solution. But his mother had just told him that there were none. He didn't want to give up. He wanted to fight. But for Lexa and Clarke, the situation was out of control. Callum sighed and decided to listen to his head, not his heart. He'd listen to his mothers. 

* * *

Echo and Bellamy quietly emerged from the forest near Arkadia as they returned from a hare hunt. The couple loved to hunt in their spare time, in addition to taking care of Arkadia's guard. 

"Can't wait to see Clarke?" asked Echo. 

"That's for sure!” said Bellamy, smiling. 

Echo also had a smile on her face when she saw her boyfriend as enthusiastic as he was. 

“But it's Octavia that I can't wait to see!” he added. “And my nieces! They're now 11, you know?” 

“Yes, Bellamy! I saw them grow up like you. But they didn't come here, did they?” 

"They didn’t" replied Bellamy, with a slight pout. “It's just Clarke, Lexa and Callum.” 

Neither had been warned of what was happening in Arkadia. Someone forgot to call them by radio following the arrival of Luna and the rest of her clan. They walked the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Neither was a big talker and enjoyed some silence. Echo suddenly frowned as she looked towards Arkadia's doors. She stopped walking and put her arm in front of Bellamy. 

"What?" he asked, looking up at his girlfriend. 

"Look on the floor, in front of the doors," she said. “Thick pools of blood.” 

He frowned and Echo took possession of her bow with a quick gesture. Bellamy did the same thing, having long since learned how to handle the bow. But Arkadia's doors opened and both aimed for the entrance. 

“You’re finally back!” shouted Miller. 

But he frowned in return when he saw the couple pointing their bow at him. The familiar face calmed Bellamy who lowered his bow before running towards his friend. Echo soon followed him and they were soon in front of Miller. 

“Nate, what’s all this blood?” 

Miller looked down on the ground, sighing. 

"Grounders. Floukru.” 

" _Floukru_ came to fight?" asked Echo not believing it. 

"No! Luna arrived with nine others from her clan. They were in bad shape. Burns on the body, they vomited blood.” 

"So everyone's fine?" asked Bellamy, putting away his bow. 

"Not really," replied Miller. “We had to transport six bodies in four hours. Almost all of them are dead.” 

"Damn," whispered Bellamy. 

“What about Luna?" 

"Still alive," replied Miller. “You can go in and see her. They're in the infirmary. But leave the hares on the way.” 

Bellamy nodded. They entered Arkadia and rapidly went to see Luna.

* * *

"Do you think Indra is going to win this time?" asked Aurora to her sister, as they stood next to each other watching their mother and Indra fight together. 

Irene had a hesitant expression as she tilted her head. 

"I don't think so. I think mom's going to win this easily.” 

"But Indra almost always beats us," retorted Aurora. 

"And mom almost always beats her.” 

Aurora, the youngest twin by about ten minutes, looked at her older sister. The twins were almost identical. They looked a lot like their mother. Despite the fact that they shared their father's dark skin colour, the girls looked a lot like Octavia. They had smooth brown hair and the shape of the eyes and the colour green was almost identical to Octavia’s. Their smiles were the only other thing similar to Lincoln’s. That’s what Octavia thought. They were also tall for their age. 

The training between Indra and Octavia came to an end, when the youngest made a roll, while Indra struck her sword. The brunette passed behind Indra and pressed her sword against the neck of her former mentor. Indra dropped her sword as a sign of defeat, and Octavia put hers away with a smile. 

"Well done," smiled Indra, turning around. 

Octavia nodded before approaching her daughters. 

"Congrats, mom!” exclaimed Aurora. 

“Well done!” added Irene. 

Octavia smiled. 

“Thank you. You're going to be great warriors too if you put your heart in your hand! You don't become the best if you just sit and wait.” 

"We know, mom!" said Irene. “We must also remember the three pillars: Wisdom, compassion, strength.” 

Indra approached all three. 

"These are the three qualities of a commander," said Indra. “You're not Nightbloods, but always keep these three words in mind.” 

The twins nodded together. 

“Now you're going to train against each other. We'll finish the training when one of you is on the floor. No injuries, please.” said Octavia. 

The twins nodded with a slight smile. They were used to fight against each other and when they did, they entered their own world. Each of them was determined and wanted to beat the other. The two sisters had the same body, so they could not take advantage of each other. They also knew their weaknesses so their training was often long and since they were sometimes tired, they sometimes came to more drastic methods. Aurora was usually the first to come to real injuries. She was slightly more impatient and reckless than her sister. She was therefore less hesitant to actually attack her after long hours of training. Irene didn't make a big deal out of it. She sometimes injured her twin as a defence. Their injuries mostly cut to their arms and stomachs. Big bruises on the body. 

But Octavia and Lincoln hated to see them get hurt. Indra often said that they should be proud that their daughters have such great strength of character. 

Octavia beckoned her daughters to go and take their weapons and place themselves in the arena Irene took her spear from the storage space and manipulated it for a few seconds, while Aurora pulled her two small swords out of her sheaths. Each of them had their favourite weapon. Aurora could handle her draggers with both hands and Irene preferred a long weapon that she could hold with both hands and which was well used to bring down the enemy by their legs. 

The two sisters looked at each other and Indra ordered the start of the fight. Octavia looked silently at her daughters for a few minutes and she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She knew it was Lincoln. 

"What are you doing here?" she asked. 

"I'm here to pick you up. You and the girls. We've all had a big week and I think we deserve some family time.” 

"It's a really good idea, Lincoln," smiled Octavia, turning to him. “What are you proposing?” 

“A picnic? I kind of prepare the whole thing... We can go to the lake and spend time there.” 

“I love the idea! You're awesome.” 

Lincoln smiled back and the two kissed for a few seconds. 

“Let the girls finish, though.” 

Lincoln nodded and the two turned to their daughters. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna is now the only survivor.
> 
> A cute family flashback.
> 
> Lexa shares a theory and it may save a few people.

"What are we going to do with Podakru?" asked Clarke to Lexa, as they were near the entrance of the infirmary. 

"There's nothing we can do right now," replied Lexa. “I sent a healer and James. They have a radio to contact us once they get there and understand what’s happening.” 

"So we wait," added Clarke. "Again.” she sighed. 

Lexa took her hand and Clarke got closer to her wife. She leaned against Lexa's shoulder and kissed their entangled hands. 

"I'm sorry about Luna," she whispered. 

Lexa smiled sadly. She was sorry too. 

"You've already told me that.” 

"I know... But she's your best friend. You have been training together all your childhood and even though she left during the Conclave... You have remained close to each other. I know it’s bothering you more than you let it show.” 

Lexa nodded as Luna hugged Adria, the young girl beside her. Clarke kissed delicately the brunette's cheek and Lexa closed her eyes. 

The door near them suddenly opened and Bellamy and Echo entered. They stopped by looking at the four remaining people of Luna’s clan. Clarke and Lexa separated slightly from each other and Clarke had a smile when she saw her friends. 

“Bell!” 

Bellamy turned his gaze toward the voice and went straight to take Clarke in his arms. 

"I’m happy to see you," he said. “You aren’t sick, are you?" he asked, backing away. 

"No," replied Clarke, watching Lexa and Echo greet each other. “No one else is sick except Luna's clan.” 

“Miller told me that her whole clan was dead...” 

A sad expression swept through Clarke's face. 

"That's right," replied Lexa. 

He turned to face her. 

"I'm sorry, Lexa.” 

The brunette nodded. Bellamy put his hand on her shoulder for a few seconds as a supportive sign. 

"Where were you?" asked Clarke, wanting to change the subject. 

“In the forest. We were hunting.” 

"And I won the bet," said Echo, smiling. 

Clarke and Lexa raised an eyebrow and Bellamy looked up, annoyed. 

"He bet he'd catch more hares than me.” 

"You won only by two," he replied. 

Echo was going to retort when they heard Luna’s voice. 

“No!” 

They all turned their attention to her. Luna gently patted Adria's face, tears streaming down her cheeks. Abby and Raven, who were further down the room, also turned to look at her. 

“Yu will be kom the waves. Yu gonplei ste odon.” (You're going to be with the waves. Your fight is over.) 

Adria's chest had stopped moving. Luna drew the body to her and laid her head in her hair, crying. 

Abby looked away, unable to watch the scene in front of her, imagining herself with Clarke. Bellamy swallowed hard and took Echo's hand. Lexa was fighting back her tears, while Clarke was freely crying. Raven also had her face drenched in tears. Watching Luna broke her. She may have been suffering from her leg, but seeing Luna mourn the death of a loved one reminded her of Finn's. She didn't exactly mourn his death, but she knew the feeling. Everyone knew it very well. They had experienced several deaths when they arrived on Earth, but she also felt something towards Luna. 

Lexa slowly walked towards her friend. Raven watched her walk to Luna and she decided to walk out of the room, wiping her cheeks. Echo dragged Bellamy out of the room too and Clarke went to join her mother. 

Lexa gently took Adria's hand and then Luna's. 

“Yu gonplei ste odon.” 

Luna looked up at her friend. The two young women looked at each other in the eye for long seconds. 

“Teik care gon em. Mo than ai ever did kom Adria.” (Take care of them. More than I've ever done with Adria.) 

“Ai will.” (I will.) 

Lexa knew Luna was referring to her family. She could only imagine what it must feel like to lose a family member. Adria wasn’t Luna’s daughter and still, Luna was sadder than Lexa had ever seen her. Well, since she had to kill her brother. A single tear finally escaped Lexa’s eye as she hugged her friend. 

* * *

It was already 8 pm and the dinner Abby promised had never taken place. No one wanted to celebrate, while in another room, Luna had just lost her entire clan. She was now the last one alive. Everyone else had died in less than four hours. Luna was now sleeping and Jackson was watching over her. 

Clarke was in her bedroom and she was drawing when the door opened. She knew that Lexa was with Nyko to keep him company and help him grieve. She was surprised to see her son come in. 

"Cal? Aren’t you supposed to be with Jordan and the others?” 

Callum nodded. Clarke frowned slightly and she turned around in her chair to face Callum, who sat on the bed. 

"I'm not feeling like playing around," said Callum, shrugging his shoulders. “I can't have fun when an entire clan has just been decimated, mom.” 

"Honey," said Clarke, rising from her chair to sit next to her son. “You're way too young to take on so much responsibility. You're at an age where you have to enjoy life.” 

"I have to do it," replied Callum. “Like you and nomon always do.” 

Clarke had a slight smile. 

“Because that's our job. People expect us to be supportive, to encourage them. They want to be cared for, directed... But you... You're our baby. You don’t have to do any of that yet.” 

“But I was told to help them.” 

"To help them get through the more difficult times, yes," said Clarke. “To support them. But no one said not to have fun.” 

Clarke gently stroked his hair and Callum sighed. 

“I'm sorry.” 

"You don't have to be sorry, darling," smiled Clarke. “You're just like your mother and me. We were just like you, long before you were born. Maybe even worse.” 

The two laughed. 

“Can you tell me an anecdote?” 

A big smile appeared on Clarke's face. 

“Oh yes! I was wondering when you were going to ask me a story!” 

"It's been a long time, yes," said Callum. 

“This one happened when you were three years old...” 

_Flashback, 10 years ago._

_Lexa was holding an important annual council. The new year has arrived. Snow was falling on Polis and Clarke was keeping Callum inside the tower, not wanting to be outside with the cold temperature. Callum was still very small and she wanted to prevent him from catching a cold._

_That day, Callum had fun walking and running around in the tower. Clarke let him do it and followed him to make sure he was safe. Most of the guards looked at them with a slight smile. They were used to him playing around and asking them questions now._

_Callum climbed one more floor of the tower, arriving on the top floor._

_"Is mom here?" he asked Clarke, as she approached him._

_"Yes. In the council room, but we can’t-CALLUM!”_

_Clarke shouted his name when she saw him running toward the one place he couldn’t go._

_“Callum!”_

_She began to run after him, wanting to avoid the council being disturbed. Callum turned the wrong way making Clarke frowned. She accelerated her steps to catch up with her son, but she saw a deserted hallway when she turned the corner._

_“Callum?”_

_No answer. Clarke walked down the hall and she could hear soft footsteps on metal. She swore and turned around, heading for the real entrance to the room._

_Callum had discovered a secret passage that only he could use by how small it was to head into the council room where his mother's throne was. He loved this room. He admired the wooden throne and often had fun sitting on it. His mothers said that he was small for his age and that was the reason why he always had trouble getting on it. He also loved to sit on all the chairs of the other clans and imitate the ambassadors. His mother thought he was funny but they told him he had to be careful not to do the same thing in front of the ambassadors._

_Callum pushed the hatch as he reached the end of the passage. He quickly went out and ran towards his mother's voice. He saw her face in the distance and a big smile took possession of his face. He hadn't seen his mother since the day before and he missed her very much. He had fallen asleep and Lexa had not yet returned and when he woke up this morning, Clarke had told him that Lexa was already working._

_“Nomon!”_

_Lexa stopped speaking and everyone turned to the source of the voice. Callum suddenly walked between two chairs and Lexa widened her eyes._

_“Nomon!” repeated Callum, very happy to see his mother._

_He quickly climbed the steps in front of her and tried to jump on Lexa's legs. By reflex, the brunette grabbed him._

_"Where is your mother?" whispered Lexa._

_Callum shrugged and smiled. He climbed only a little more on Lexa and surrounded her with his arms. Lexa couldn’t help but smile, but she saw the ambassadors, except Marcus, looking at her. They were frowning._

_Lexa waved to Indra who was behind her. The warrior leaned to listen._

_"Find Clarke.”_

_Indra nodded and as she was about to walk down the stairs, the door opened. Clarke rushed in with a worried expression._

_"I'm here!”_

_Everyone looked her up and down._

_"I'm sorry," she apologized to everyone. “I don't know how he came in. I told him not to come, but-”_

_"It's okay, Clarke," said Lexa while getting up, dropping her son on the ground._

_Callum immediately took her hand and Lexa's cheek turned red, not yet quite accustomed to showing her maternal side in front of others. It was only when Callum was two years old that he began to talk a lot, to take an interest in the tower and to follow Lexa everywhere. She had slowly become accustomed to the looks she received while she was holding Callum in her arms in the tower or when he was kissing her on the face._

_Clarke quickly walked up to her wife and son, biting her lip._

_"Sorry," she whispered to Lexa, taking Callum in her arms. “He started running and-”_

_"It's okay," repeated Lexa. “Go home.”_

_Clarke nodded, murmuring a "thank you" as she turned around._

_"Bye-bye, nomon!" said Callum, looking behind Clarke's shoulder._

_The blonde walked faster and Marcus held back his laugh when he saw Lexa raise her hand to wave at him._

_End of flashback_

Clarke and Callum laughed on the bed, while the blonde finished the anecdote. 

"I wish I could remember nomon’s face!" said Callum. 

"Believe me, it was hilarious! And you were way too reckless! Luckily, you've calmed down over the years.” 

Callum smiled and Clarke passed her hand through his curly hair. 

"Are you going to go back to Jordan and the others now?” 

The young boy looked up at his mother, smiling slightly. He nodded before getting up and heading for the door. 

“Don't get out of Arkadia and drink nothing of what Jasper gives you!” ordered Clarke. 

* * *

“This is James from Arkadia. Anyone listening?” 

Marcus turned his head to the radio that was hanging over his desk. He stretched his arm and took it. 

"James, this is Marcus. How are things in Podakru?” 

"Bad. I arrived one hour ago with the other healer and we have some bad news.” 

“Wait, James!” ordered Marcus. “I’ll go get Lexa.” 

"Okay.” 

Marcus left his office and walked toward the infirmary before stopping in his footsteps. He knew that Lexa was no longer there and he did not want to waste his time looking in Arkadia. He decided to go into the control room to find Raven. He opened the door and stopped when he saw the mechanic looking at the infirmary from the surveillance camera. He saw her wet cheek and he cleared his throat. Raven stood up and wiped her face quickly before looking at Marcus with a fake smile. 

"What?” 

“I need you to call Lexa here with the speakers. I don't want to waste my time looking for her.” 

Raven frowned but nodded. She opened the microphone and approached it to Marcus. 

“This is Marcus. I need the commander in the control room as soon as possible. Thank you.” 

He gave her the microphone back and Raven put it away. There was a silence in which Marcus hesitated to speak. 

"Do you have something to say?" asked Raven facing him. “You can tell me.” 

"Are you all right?" he simply asked. 

Raven shrugged. 

"Yes. And anyway, I can't let myself be anything else than alright. Everybody needs me. I can't afford myself to give up.” 

Marcus sighed. 

"That's not true, Raven. You have the right to be sad.” 

"I've been sad and angry long enough," she replied. “First Finn, then my leg, Mount Weather... I've wasted enough time being angry and suffering.” 

“You can take a few days off... Did you...” 

"Did you what?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Did you talk to someone about what had happened to you?” 

“Everyone already knows. Why would I need to talk about it again?” 

"Because it feels good to let go.” 

Raven and Marcus stared at each other for many seconds. Raven crossed her arms over her chest and she let her gaze go back to the screens. She looked more closely at the infirmary and stared at Luna, who was sleeping on her bed. 

"Why did you call Lexa?" asked Clarke suddenly as she entered the room. 

Marcus turned to face her. 

“James called. He doesn’t have good news.” 

Clarke frowned and Lexa entered. 

"What's going on?" asked Lexa, standing near Clarke. 

"Thank you for coming so quickly," said Marcus, as Raven sat on her chair. “James arrived in Podakru one hour ago and has no good news.” 

"Let me talk to him," said Lexa. 

Marcus nodded and turned on the radio. 

“James, it’s Marcus again. I’m with the commander, Clarke and Raven.” 

"Good... Hum... I have never seen anything like it, to be honest. One of the clan leaders told me that the situation had gotten worse by the time we got here.” 

"What do you mean?" asked Lexa. 

“More death and sick people. People vomit, lose blood, have red patches on their bodies. We gave medicinal herbs to some and some of my medications to others to see the difference, but nothing. No effect, no relief.” 

The four present in the control room looked at each other. They all had the same look. Clarke took the radio from Marcus to speak. 

“James, it's Clarke. I don't know how to say that, but-” 

Lexa snatched the radio from her hands. 

“You can’t say what you’re about to say when we don't know the reason for their problem.” 

“We know it, Lexa. It's radiation and we can't help them.” 

"That’s not entirely true. Only Podakru and Floukru have been affected so far. What do they have in common?” 

"Water," answered Clarke. 

“And what products do they have in common and are the first exporters?” 

“Fish, seaweed...” 

"Exactly. Floukru is the only clan to eat fish first. Then, they trade them with Podakru before bringing them to Polis.” 

Clarke, Marcus and Raven soon understood. 

“The problem comes from the sea?” 

"I'm almost sure of it,” said Lexa. “I had time to think and it makes sense. The delivery of fish has not yet arrived in Polis and no one else has been sick. Only Podakru and Floukru who were the first to eat it. If they stop eating the fish in Podakru, then maybe it'll stop getting worse.” 

"We have to try," said Marcus. 

Marcus took the radio from Lexa's hands. 

“I'm going to inform James what to do. I'll go see Abby explain to her your theory.” 

All three women nodded and Clarke looked at Lexa. 

"You may have just saved thousands of lives.” 

A smile appeared on both faces. 

“I hope so. Time will tell, but it’s the only explanation that comes to mind.” 

“And you're probably right... I love you," added Clarke. 

The brunette's smile grew larger and Raven rolled her eyes. 

"Go take a room," she said. 

Clarke laughed as she took her wife's hand. 

"Let's go see my mother too.” 

Lexa nodded and they left together, leaving Raven alone, reflecting on what had just happened. 

“But why would fish be affected by radiation after so many years?” 

She thought about it for a few seconds before cracking her knuckles and tapping on her keyboard. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! 
> 
> Tell me which moment was your favourite between Luna and Lexa, Clarke and Callum and Marcus and Raven.  
> Thank you for still being here with me :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute Clexa moment, cute SeaMechanic moment too ahaha and they finally learn something important!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why but I had a hard time translating this chapter. Seriously, I think it's not good enough but I gave up and I hope you find it ok...

It was only 8h17 am but Lexa was sitting on the floor by the bed, while Clarke was still sleeping. The brunette had woken up at 8:00 a.m. sharp, her body and brain ready every morning like a clock. She had gently got out of bed, without waking Clarke, and after dressing lightly, she had sat by the bed. Lexa often meditated in the mornings. Sometimes, it was to listen to the previous commanders’ voices or simply to relax and release the accumulated stress.

Unintentionally, Lexa thought of one of the worst times she had experienced as a mother. The moment she thought she had lost her son. 

_Flashback, six years earlier._

_Callum was seven years old. It was a hot day. It hadn't rained for days and the air was dry. Clarke had been busy for several hours in the clinic, leaving Lexa alone to take care of Callum for the day. Lexa had had Callum babysat by his nanny so she could attend an important meeting in the morning, but now that her day was empty, she wanted to enjoy her free afternoon with her son. She decided to go into the forest to teach Callum the name and usefulness of several plants and mushrooms. He was more excited to spend time in the forest than to learn plants, but since it was important to his nomon, he forced himself to listen._

_“These are nettles. They are edible and healers use them to soothe skin diseases and pregnant women consume them. They drink it in tea. Your mother and I drink it a lot, you know... I'm sure you'd like that. Right?”_

_Lexa, who was crouching to look closely at the plant, turned her head to look at Callum, but her eyes only met the trees. She frowned as she got up._

_“Callum?”_

_She spoke louder, but she heard no reply. She started regretting her previous choice. Since her day was free duty, she’d told her guards not to follow her. She regretted this choice because if someone would have been with her, he could have watched Callum and prevented him from leaving. But Lexa was alone and became increasingly worried as she walked around._

_“Callum!”_

_Silence. Again. Lexa swore. She could not rely on footprints since the ground was very dry and no steps remained marked._

_Lexa started to walk around. She hoped she would see Callum’s head._

_“Callum! Callum!”_

_"Mom!”_

_Lexa paused in her footsteps._

_“Callum?”_

_"Mom!”_

_She heard him shout with an insecure voice and Lexa was able to hear tears. The commander took a few seconds to find the source of her son's crying before running toward him._

_“Don't move!” she ordered._

_Lexa tightened her jaw. She was running as fast as she could and she could finally see Callum's curly hair. At the sight of her son, Lexa's whole body relaxed. Weight was falling off her shoulders._

_"I'm here!”_

_Callum turned his head to his mother and a smile came to light up his wet face. His left hand was holding his right arm. Lexa saw blood and a scratch and her heart tightened. Her son injured himself under her supervision. She had lost her son in the forest when she was supposed to be watching him._

_She finally knelt in front of him and she gently put her hands on each of his arms._

_"I’m sorry, Cal.”_

_Callum wiped his face with the back of his hand and Lexa gently removed his hair from his face._

_"Forgive me, darling," added Lexa._

_"I'm sorry," Callum also apologized. “I left and... And... I hurt myself...”_

_A few tears escaped from his eyes and Lexa hurried to wipe them._

_"Don't cry, okay?" asked the brunette with a slight smile. “You cry when you are sad and you are not sad. We’re happy that we’re together.”_

_She tried as best as she could to make him happy, but she knew Clarke was better to comfort him. Callum always went to see Clarke when he was sad. He had never seen Lexa cry but Lexa felt good about her role. She only regretted not being perfect and not being able to comfort him appropriately._

_"You could have put yourself in danger, that's true," she said. "But I was not looking at you and that's my fault. Ok?”_

_Callum nodded slightly. Lexa had a simple smile and she pulled her son towards her to take him in her arms. Callum closed his arms around Lexa's neck and Lexa closed her eyes with a sigh._

_End of flashback_

“Lexa?” 

Lexa slowly opened her eyes. Clarke was looking at her, leaning on her arm. She had small eyes, a sign that she just woke up, but there was a genuine smile on her face. 

"How long have you been awake?" 

“Since 8 am.” 

Clarke looked at her watch and smiled. 

“20 minutes... Come and join me,” she commanded, tapping the empty space beside her. 

Lexa smiled and she slowly rose from the floor. Lexa was only wearing a shirt and boxer and Clarke made sure to check her legs and butt before Lexa got on the bed. Lexa crawled slowly on the mattress and Clarke opened her arms, welcoming Lexa with a smile. The brunette bent down to kiss her wife for a few seconds, but when she tried to back off, Clarke put her hand on her neck and pulled her towards her. Lexa groaned slightly, as Clarke let her hand go down from her back to her ass. 

Lexa let her hips fall on Clarke's and the blonde let her tongue wander on the commander's upper lip. Lexa opened her lips and her tongue met her wife's. Clarke spread her legs slightly and squeezed Lexa's ass, hoping that the brunette would move more than she already did. Their center met more fiercely and Lexa stopped kissing Clarke to dive into the blonde's neck. Clarke let sighs and moans out of her mouth as Lexa's tongue ventured and lingered where she knew were Clarke’s weak spot. 

“Don't leave any marks... Please.” 

Lexa had a slight growl, frustrated. It was always the same thing when they came to Arkadia. She didn’t want to have sex in Arkadia since they weren’t in complete intimacy like in their house in Polis, but she loved to mark Clarke. 

"I want to mark you... Like I do at Polis.” 

Clarke moaned. 

“Your people are not like mine, Lex. In Polis, I show myself as yours, people don't care about it, but here... I'm too embarrassed... And my friends... My mother.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

"Please. We've had this conversation several times before.” 

"Even after ten years, I still find your culture strange," replied Lexa. 

Clarke smiled before leaving a kiss on Lexa’s lips. 

"But you love me.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

“I do.” 

Clarke laughed at Lexa's expression. She could never stop finding her wife adorable. Lexa was always so confident in Polis or when she was wearing her commander’s clothes. Clarke thought Lexa changed her personality and voice when she was in duty mode. She found it funny and Lexa couldn’t understand why. Even though they have been together for 14 years, Lexa could still misunderstand Skaikru’s jokes and slang or simply sense of humour. 

"And I love you," added Clarke. 

Lexa smiled and she took Clarke's hand to kiss it but she suddenly frowned as she let her gaze fall further into the room. Clarke frowned, not understanding her wife's change of expression. 

"What?” 

Lexa sighed before sitting in front of Clarke. She folded her legs as she sat down. 

"Do you think Luna is dead?" asked Lexa. 

"Why are you thinking about that?" 

"Everyone's dead, Clarke. In only a few hours. She was the last one alive last night and maybe that night... Her fight finally ended.” 

"My mom would have come here to tell us.” 

Lexa remained silent, reflecting on what Clarke had said. If Luna was dead, Jackson and Abby would have been kind enough to wake them up to tell them the news. 

* * *

Luna was walking through Arkadia’s hallways. It was early in the morning and the nurse in charge of monitoring her in the infirmary had fallen asleep. She was feeling a little better than the day before. She didn't have as much chest pain and she was tired of being in the infirmary. She was well treated by Skaikru but she didn't want to die in this room, lying on a bed and waiting for her death. She wanted to be free. That's why she had decided to get out of the room and walk a little. She had met very few people and they had hardly noticed her. 

She took the opportunity to observe and understand the Ark. She had never seen so much technology. She had observed some during her visits to Polis where Skaikru had made some systems to make things faster and more profitable for the population. Clarke had explained everything to her and Luna even remembered hearing the name "Raven" in Clarke's explanations. She didn’t know what Raven was doing specifically, but she suspected that she must have been the brain behind all of this. 

Luna continued to walk, leaving her hand hanging along the wall near her. She walked by a door and raised her hand to pass it. She turned her head to see inside the room and saw huge screens. Some were bright and Luna widened her eyes. She recognized the screens, having seen them with a black surface, but she had never seen them with images and colours. She looked intently and saw people walking outside or even in the corridors. She even saw inside the infirmary. Her curiosity showed up and she decided to enter. She pushed the door slightly and walked in. She paused in her footsteps and smiled slightly. Raven was sitting on the chair in front of the screens. Her head was resting on her arms, leaning on the desk in front of her. Her face was facing Luna. 

She closed the door behind her and slowly walked into the room. She let her gaze pass on every device, screens, keyboards, radios... She let her fingers touch the keyboard near Raven. She then let her hand caress the brunette's arm, without an ounce of hesitation. She was not shy and the gesture was natural for her. 

Her hand passed Raven's elbow and went up to her shoulder. Raven’s hair was in a ponytail and she wore the red sweater from the day before. Luna thought she had fallen asleep unintentionally. She stepped back slightly and looked towards the Latina's leg. Raven still had that thing around her left leg. She felt her curiosity surface again. Raven had spoken to her and explained the cause of her injury, but she had not told her about the device surrounding her leg. Luna looked at Raven one last time before kneeling. Her hands touched the metal and she examined every detail. 

She thought it was remarkable. 

Raven woke up and slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze fell directly on Luna's face and hair. Raven frowned. The Grounder was kneeling next to her and Raven suddenly felt a hand touch her leg. She got up, not feeling good enough to let anyone touch her. 

“What are you doing?” 

Luna stopped touching her and she got up. She was not embarrassed to have been caught. She was only disappointed. 

"I was looking at this thing," she answered. 

“Why? And why are you here? You're supposed to be in the infirmary!” 

Luna smiled. Raven looked serious but had tired eyes and she thought she looked cute. 

"I don't want to wait for death while lying in a bed. I feel a little better and I wanted to walk a little.” 

"And you got here?" 

Luna nodded. 

“I saw all these screens and technology and...” 

She did not finish her sentence, instead, she let her gaze wander around the room. Raven smiled. 

"Impressive, isn't it?" 

Luna looked at Raven and she nodded. 

“I've seen some of these screens before, but they never had images and colour. The surface was black.” 

Raven nodded. 

"That's normal. There is no electricity to make them work. Well, there's no network either, so you'd just see snow. And by snow, I mean a tiring noise and a gray image with small dots.” 

Luna raised an eyebrow while listening. She didn't understand half of what Raven had just said. 

"You don't know what I'm talking about?" asked Raven. 

Luna nodded. 

"It doesn't matter.” 

"Did you accidentally fell asleep here?" asked Luna, changing the subject. 

"Yeah," replied Raven, lightly massaging her neck. “But it's not the first time." 

"Why?" asked Luna, frowning. 

“Because I stayed here longer than I should, looking for something. Looking at screens makes my eyes tired faster. Has that ever happened to you? Falling asleep in places other than your bed.” 

"Yes," replied Luna immediately. “When I lived in Polis.” 

Raven frowned. 

"You lived in the capital?" Aren't you Floukru’s leader?” 

"I am.” 

Raven waited for a longer explanation but Luna continued to stare at her without saying anything. 

"And?" said Raven. “Could you explain it to me, because I'm lost.” 

“Are you interested in my past?” 

Raven was surprised by the question. 

“Uh... Yes. I told you about mine, so I'd like to know yours.” 

Luna smiled and raised an eyebrow. Raven smiled too and she slowly rose from her chair. She stretched before pointing toward the door. 

"What about this deal: I invite you to eat breakfast and you tell me about you.” 

"Okay.” 

* * *

Lexa looked at Clarke as she put on her boots. Lexa had her arms folded in front of her and a slightly annoyed look. 

"You know, when I said I was going to wait for you, I didn't think I was going to do it for ten minutes,” she joked. 

Clarke rolled her eyes, looking up from her shoelaces. 

"Have you seen the length of these laces, Lex?" 

A grin appeared on the commander's face and someone knocked on the door. The knocks were loud and Lexa was quick to open the door. She saw Bellamy. He looked anxious. 

"Lexa. I was informed that Luna had disappeared from the infirmary. 

Lexa widened her eyes. 

"Abby informed me by radio, a few minutes ago. She and the guards are looking for her inside and outside the Ark.” 

"Where could she have gone?" asked Clarke who was finally done with lacing her boots. 

Suddenly, Bellamy's radio made a slight sizzle before Miller's voice was heard. 

“I found Luna. She's with Raven in a corner of the cafeteria.” 

"We’re coming, Nate,” said Abby. 

"I'm coming too with Lexa and Clarke," replied Bellamy, before heading to the cafeteria with the two women. 

They arrived before Abby and saw Miller with Luna and Raven. Clarke quickly noticed that Raven had an annoyed expression as if they had been disturbed. Lexa noticed that Luna looked much better than the day before. A few red patches were remaining on her skin but she had regained some colour. 

"Luna, why are you here?" asked Lexa as she arrived near Miller and the girls. 

“I felt better and if I'm going to die, I don't want to sit around waiting for my fate in a bed.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow, not surprised by her friend’s answer. 

"We were just talking and eating. Nothing's wrong. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” 

Clarke also raised an eyebrow. Raven looked like a shy teenager. Clarke stopped looking at Raven to turn her attention on Luna. Abby finally entered the cafeteria and ran towards them, worrying about Luna's health. But when she was close enough, she frowned. 

“Luna... How is that possible?” 

Luna frowned and Clarke connected the dots in her head. For the first time, she looked closely at Luna and she saw how much she looked healed. 

"She's healing.” 

Abby approached and touched Luna’s forehead. 

“The fever’s down. Do you still have the pain in your chest?” 

Luna nodded negatively. 

"There’s almost no patches anymore.” 

"How come?" asked Lexa, wanting an explanation. “Her whole clan is dead. Why is she healing?” 

Abby remained silent for a few seconds. 

“There is only one thing that differentiates Luna from everyone else.” 

“Nightblood,” said Clarke. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth's out. Flash-back. Mother and son moment.

"So it's true?" asked Echo, having joined them in the infirmary. 

Her question was directed to Abby who was walking back to them after she had spent several minutes in the lab with Jackson. She had taken a blood sample from Luna and had run several tests. 

Raven was walking behind everyone, seriously debating an issue in her head. 

"Yes, it's true," replied Abby. “Luna's nightblood ejects radiation from itself. That's what saved her life.” 

"So Lexa could survive?" asked Clarke. 

"Yes. She would first be contaminated like Luna was. She'd go through the first few hours and be sick, but she'd get better.” 

Clarke thanked the sky. The last thing she wanted was Lexa’s death. 

"Can she be sick again?" asked Lexa, worried about her friend. 

"I don't think so," answered Abby. 

"You're not sure?" asked Bellamy. 

"No. But I'm going to expose the blood sample to radiation again and see how long it takes to evacuate everything. For now, she still needs to rest. And prevent fish and algae from being eaten.” 

"It won't change anything," whispered Raven. 

"What?" asked Clarke, as they all turned to her. 

"It won't change anything," she repeated. “We can't stop what's going to happen.” 

They all frowned. 

"What do you mean?" asked Lexa. 

"I'll show you. Come with me.” 

They all followed her. Soon, Clarke, Lexa, Abby, Bellamy and Echo were in the control room with Raven. She had sat in her chair in front of the computers and she started typing on the keyboard. Images of towers storing nuclear energy appeared and Raven turned to the others. 

“Nuclear power plants that survived Praimfaya began to melt and to release their radiation into the atmosphere and air. The rate is already very high and is likely to rise dramatically. This the current rate.” she continued, pointing at some meter on a screen. “We're at the beginning of yellow. When the needle is in the red, we will be dead.” 

Everyone remained silent. 

"Why the sea first?" asked Lexa after a few seconds. 

Raven shrugged. 

“I think it’s because their radiation went first into the ocean. It contaminated all lives in it. And it’s the bottom of the food chain.” 

"Is there a way to stop this?" asked Clarke, who was already looking for a solution. 

"No. The plants started to melt a long time ago. And we can't stop them.” 

"It's impossible," murmured Abby. 

"A second Praimfaya," said Lexa. 

Echo turned her head to her commander. 

“What?” said Raven. 

“It's the same thing. Radiation is the reason for your departure to Earth and this new life on it. But it’s back and there's nothing we can do. We have to accept our destiny,” explained Lexa. 

Echo nodded slightly as Clarke stared at her wife. 

“We can't sit by, Lexa!” exclaimed Clarke. 

“Ours and your ancestors could not do anything at the first. You went into exile and we rose from the ashes. That's what awaits us again.” 

"She's right," added Echo. 

Bellamy stared at her. 

"How long do we have?" asked Abby. 

Raven turned to her screens. She tapped on her keyboard and numbers appeared. 

“Six months. Maximum. After that, we'll all be dead.” 

* * *

_Flash-Back_

_Raven and Luna were entering the cafeteria. A table with bread, jam, dried beef, rooster eggs and fruit lined the wall. Raven went to the trays. She handed one to Luna, without a word,_ _before taking hers and putting two slices of bread with jam, an apple and a piece of meat. Luna took some beef and a fruit._

_"Do you want tea?" asked Raven._

_The Floukru leader nodded. Tea was already brewed and Raven served two cups. She placed them on their tray before heading to a table in the back of the cafeteria. Luna followed_ _her and they sat in front of each other. Luna took her time to take a sip of her tea and enjoy it. S_ _he was slightly amused to see Raven's gaze insisting on her. S_ _he would not have thought at first that the brunette would be so curious._

_Raven surprised herself. She had always been a bit of a lone wolf these past few years. She was still interested in her friends’ lives, but at that moment she didn't_ _even understand_ _why she was so interested in Luna._

_"So... Are you telling me your story?" asked Raven at last._

_Luna smiled._

_“Well, I grew up in my home village until I was five years old. My brother was seven at the time. We were both Nightbloods. At some point, Titus found us and brought us to Polis to begin our teaching and training to become Heda.”_

_“5 years old,” repeated Raven, wide-eyed._

_She had not had a beautiful childhood herself. Her mother was stealing her food rations. But all she thought at that age was to see her friends, go to school on the Ark, play..._

_“My brother and I grew up in Polis with the other seven children. The oldest of them all was five years my senior. Lexa was with us.”_

_"You were good friends at the time too?" asked Raven._

_Luna nodded._

_"We were close. I was closer with her than the others, however, we were two strong heads, so we had some skirmishes.”_

_Raven raised an eyebrow._

_"You had a strong head?"You're like, the sweetest girl in the world... Well, that's what they say.”_

_She tried to hide the meaning of her last sentence. Raven had seen Luna in Polis before, but she had never spoken to her for too long. On the other hand, Clarke and Octavia had spoken to_ _her about her as they had spoken of the other ambassadors and Luna was described as the one who welcomes and helps those_ _who were done with fighting._ _She only_ _wanted_ _peace._

_She was calm and caring and Clarke had already mentioned how much she loved children._

_But Luna didn’t try to hide her smile at Raven’s words. She thought Raven was adorable._

_"I know that's how people like to describe me. But I know how to set my foot down. And at the time, all I saw was the Flame and being a commander. Fight and lead. My brother_ _always told me to remember that fighting was not everything. That there was bad in it. But I didn't believe him. Lexa was determined too. But she could easily abandon the fight_ _for politics. Titus was crazy about her.”_

_Raven laughed mockingly._

_“She had a girlfriend before Clarke. And she indeed was the ambassador’s favourite... And so we grew up like that. But over the years, a certain reason came to me. I was thinking a little less about the fight before the conclave. To what my life could have been if I didn't have that blood. But the time came and I had to face my brother in the first round. I killed him.”_

_Raven tried to remain neutral._

_"I was pretty confident. I was the best in training. Lexa was following me closely. I killed my brother with my sword and people cheered. That's when I woke up from this sort of... Dream.”_

_Raven nodded slightly._

_"I saw the body of my brother on the floor and heard the others applauded. Lexa quickly came to fight me. But I left. I ran and got out of Polis.”_

_"Why?”_

_"It was too much. I was disgusted with the person I had become. I know I would have won against Lexa. I almost always beat her in training. I was the best. But I couldn't take_ _it anymore. To know that I would have more deaths on my conscience, as commander... I could never live with that.”_

_"It's remarkable.”_

_Luna raised an eyebrow._

_"You're story... Your choices. I wish our ship had fallen on you ten years ago. We would have avoided wars.”_

_Luna laughed._

_"But we wouldn't have all this," replied Luna referring to all Skaikru and the Grounders had built between them._

_"That's right... But you didn't answer my real question.”_

_Luna frowned, while Raven had a smile on her face._

_"I asked you why you had already fallen asleep in inappropriate places.”_

_Luna let out a little laugh._

_“The answer is that I was so obsessed with being the best that I was training again and again. And when I stopped for a few seconds to rest, I usually fell asleep.”_

_"Remind me not to disturb you, okay?" said Raven. “I don't want to risk ending up with another broken leg.”_

_"Don't worry. The time when I used my fists for everything is over. And you don't bother me at all... you are one of the people I like here.”_

_Luna planted her gaze in Raven’s. The Latina held her gaze as long as she could before dropping it on her cup of tea. Luna's gaze made her feel something she wasn't able to put her finger on. But she also hated feeling... Helpless._

_"How does it feel to know that your blood keeps you alive?" asked Raven._

_Luna took the time to think about her answer._

_“Luna! What are you doing here? Everybody's looking for you!”_

_Raven frowned as she looked at Miller. He took his radio to contact the others and the disappointment took possession of the two young women._

_End of Flash-Back_

* * *

“Spread your legs more, Callum!” ordered Lexa. “You've got your mother's bad habit. You have to be firmer on both your legs.” 

Callum passed his hand over his pants while he was lying on the ground. Lexa had just pushed him again as they were training. The young boy pushed himself with his hands and jumped on his feet. Lexa raised an eyebrow with a slight smile on her face. 

"Have you been training in secret? But you don't impress me anymore," she said not letting him answer. 

She knew her son was training without her and she was proud of him. 

Callum smiled slightly before walking towards his mother to continue the fight. Their sword met quickly. Each threw themself on the ground to avoid the other’s sword, they turned on themself to avoid a kick. Callum was still young, but Lexa made sure he trained young and at fourteen, Callum was an excellent fighter and training with her mother, the commander, allowed him to see the few weaknesses in a person and take advantage of them. The Nightbloods also had this advantage, since Lexa trained them. Lexa looked at Callum. His hands were holding his sword firmly; it was not a problem. She then saw strands of hair sticking to his forehead and Callum pushed his curly hair back with a quick gesture. It was not the first time she had noticed this habit in a few days. She also looked at his feet. Her son moved a lot, a strategy she had taught him. Lexa attacked first. Callum raised his sword and the blades collided in a noise. 

"Wait!" said Callum, without moving from their position. 

Lexa frowned. 

"What?” 

“I just thought of something, but I don't want to try it. I'm afraid I'm going to hurt you...” 

Her frown turned into a shrug. 

"Are you afraid of hurting me?" repeated Lexa who tried not to be insulted by her son. 

Callum quickly noticed his mother's expression and tried to make up for it. 

“Only because I don't know what's going to happen and I don't want to hurt your leg!” 

"Then show me.” 

Callum stayed in his position and pointed to his mother's leg, which was bent at a 90-degree angle. 

“Your leg, you see... It is bent at an angle that makes your thigh horizontal.” 

Lexa nodded. 

“I thought that I could jump so that my foot would lean on your thigh and propel me backwards... And at the same time, if the force is enough, bring you down.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow and a smile appeared. Callum's mouth also grows into a big smile. 

"I'm proud of you, Cal. And you did the right thing not to try it first.” 

They shared a laugh. 

"Let's try it!” 

"Yeah?” 

Lexa nodded and they returned to position. 

"Now!” 

Callum complied. He jumped and pressed his foot on his mother's thigh before pushing himself. Lexa had prepared and contracted her leg as much as possible to be stable. Callum's weight towards her pushed their sword towards her face, but the young boy quickly propelled himself backwards and he stood a little more than a meter away. 

"That was so great!" 

Lexa couldn't contain her smile when she saw her son. He walked towards Lexa, raising his hand, and Lexa high five him. 

“You’re should ask Harper for a haircut. Your hair’s too long.” 

Callum rolled his eyes. 

"They prevent you to see clearly. If you don’t want Harper to do it again, you can ask Jackie when we’re back in Polis.” 

Callum nodded. 

“What's going on with Podakru?” 

Lexa held a sigh. Raven told them the news, two hours ago. Abby had asked that no one spread the news. No one was supposed to know and she wanted to avoid a general panic. People had to live their everyday lives and she didn't know what else to do. She had ordered everyone to return to their occupations. Abby had returned to Luna to test her black blood. Clarke had gone with Jackson to do a small surgery to replace her mother. Bellamy and Echo had gone their separate ways, while Raven had stayed in the computer room to do more research. And Lexa had decided to spend time with her son. She had found him with Jordan in one of the Ark’s classes. 

Callum had to take some classes in Polis with other children but school like on the Ark was not the same in Polis. He trained almost every day with his mother or with Indra and the twins. Lexa was also teaching him survival skills. She had also taught him her native language, trigedasleng. Clarke, for her part, was teaching Callum some basic medical knowledge and she started to teach him about the Ark and the world before Praimfaya. She had told him what she knew herself. He also enjoyed spending time with Abby in the infirmary when he could and accompanied Clarke to Polis regularly. 

“Podakru has suffered several deaths already. We found out that the radiation I told you about came from fish and algae. People stopped eating them and we will know if there is any improvement.” 

Callum nodded, happy with the news. Lexa looked at him and a sadness invaded her. In six months, her son would be dead. Clarke would be too. Within seconds, her eyes had become damp and Lexa left her sword on the ground to approach her son. Callum watched her move forward and Lexa took him in her arms, without a word. Her arms around his neck. Callum remained frozen, his arms along his body. But he dropped his sword and closed his arms around his mother's waist. Lexa placed her head on Callum's hair, closing her eyes. Callum also closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment. He had no idea where this outpouring of affection came from, but he accepted it without question. A tear escaped from the corner of the brunette's closed eye and flowed down her cheek. 

In six months, she'd be alone with Luna and some young Nightbloods. Without her friends, without her family. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, Raven gets a moment with her adoptive parents. Octavia is learning things and sees even more shocking things!!
> 
> Lexa and Clarke talks and Clarke... *winks winks*

Raven was sitting outside with a glass of Jasper's hale in her hand. It was late in the evening and a fire was burning nearby, illuminating and warming people outside. She looked at the couple who was sitting further away. They were kissing each other and touching the other one in places Raven thought was inappropriate in public. She also thought of her friends. Bellamy and Echo, Monty and Harper, Jasper with his daughter named Jessy since he wasn’t with the mother anymore, Miller and Bryan, Octavia and Lincoln, Clarke and Lexa... even Abby and Marcus. She felt hopeless. She had spent so many years sleeping with guys, working and not being in a serious relationship. But now she was facing a brick wall. 

She thought of the end of the world and a slight laugh escaped. She didn't even know if it was a bad thing or not. She had almost nothing to lose. 

"Can I sit down?" 

Raven looked up at Abby. The doctor had a soft smile on her face and was waiting for Raven's answer. She pulled the chair to her left and Abby dropped herself on the chair with a drink in her hand. 

"It's a beautiful evening.” 

Raven nodded and the two women drank their drinks in silence for several seconds. Sinclair suddenly appeared with a smile on his face. 

"A beautiful evening!" he said. 

Raven raised an eyebrow. She turned her gaze slightly to Abby and noticed that she was looking up at the sky. 

“A mechanic and a doctor at the same table. Can an engineer sit down?" he asked, pointing at the third chair. 

"Of course," said Abby trying not to look suspicious. 

Sinclair took his place on the other side of Raven. The latter passed her gaze between Abby and her boss. 

"You know that nothing is subtle in all this?" she asked. 

Abby and Sinclair looked at each other with a sigh. Raven had a small laugh before taking another sip of her drink. 

“One of you would have done it, but both and saying the same thing... really not subtle. I thought you were smarter.” 

The two adults exchanged a laugh, realizing how stupid their plan was. 

"You're right, Raven," replied Abby. 

“And you were a minute apart...” 

"I knew I should have waited a little longer," added Sinclair. 

They all laughed. 

“Why are you here? I'm not made of sugar. Say what you want to say.” 

"We know,” said Abby. “You’re someone special.” 

Raven had a proud smile. 

"We're just worried about you," added Sinclair. “You're important to us, Raven. More than you know.” 

Raven hid her face behind her glass as she sunk into her chair. 

"We have always believed in you, wanted you to succeed in what you do, to be happy...” 

"I know," mumbled Raven. “And you're both important to me too...” 

Abby and Sinclair had a big smile on their faces. 

"We know that too, "said Sinclair. “And we've noticed you've been elsewhere lately. Not physically, but...” 

"You just look sad," said Abby. 

Raven didn't talk. Instead, she stared at the fire in front of her. 

"I'm afraid you're getting straight into a depression, Raven.” 

Raven turned her gaze to Abby. 

"I don't have depression.” 

"That's not what I said," added the doctor. 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"But we noticed that you were suddenly interested in Grounder culture," continued Sinclair. “And that you had spent time with Luna and-” 

“I'm not allowed to spend time with her?” asked Raven, a little insulted. “Is it weird to see me with Grounders?” 

"No!" replied Sinclair. “You just never showed any interest before.” 

"You've made a few visits to Polis with me, but apart from Lexa and Indra, I've never seen you talk to them," added Abby. “Anyway, we saw you with Luna and we noticed you were smiling.” 

"Much more than in recent times.” 

Raven drank again. She didn't see where the conversation was going and she didn't like it when Abby and Sinclair interfered with her private life. 

"I spoke with Lexa and Luna," said Abby. “Luna no longer has anyone from her clan, as you know. She doesn't see the point of going back to her clan where all she's going to find are dead bodies...” 

Raven nodded slightly. Her thoughts went toward Luna. She could not imagine what she had to go through. 

“Lexa invited Luna to return with her to Polis tomorrow. She will stay in her house where she usually lives during her visits to the capital... We thought you should be there with her.” 

"What?" said Raven, frowning. 

“Abby told me about it and I think it's a good idea. There are no major jobs or problems, Raven. You may well leave Arkadia for several days and take time for yourself. To understand better who you are.” 

"I know who I am," she retorqued. “I'm good with work. You know that, Sinclair.” 

"Yes, but it's not enough. Not anymore.” 

Raven sighed, slightly angry, but knowing they were right. Her pride took a hit. 

"I told Clarke and Lexa about it and they'd be happy for you to go with them.” 

They remained silent for a few seconds. 

“What about Luna? Did you ask her?” 

"She's just as happy," smiled Abby. 

Raven took another sip of her drink. 

"Luna is even ready to host you," added Abby. 

There was a short silence. 

"You're like real parents.” 

Abby and Sinclair smiled at the mechanic's remark. 

"Because we love you, Reyes," smiled Sinclair. 

Raven nodded slightly, smiling. Abby and Sinclair had had enough of her to know that she was telling them a "me too" without words. 

"Are you sure your group of boastful engineers and young apprentice mechanics are going to hold up?" asked Raven, raising an eyebrow, half a smile hidden behind her glass. 

"Do you think I can't handle it?" asked Sinclair. 

Raven laughed mockingly. 

“I just want to be sure that you don't regret your decision when it's too late.” 

The three of them smiled. Abby and Sinclair were pleased with the turn of events, knowing how stubborn and difficult Raven was when it was time to accept help. A comfortable silence settled between them and everyone enjoyed the fire and the music. 

* * *

Lexa was talking to Ryder, while everyone was waiting after Clarke to leave. They were outside near the gates of Arkadia to leave for Polis. The horses were ready to go and the Rover had been full of energy to drive for a long time. Faced with the lack of horses for Luna and Raven, the latter had offered to go to Polis in a Rover and bring the married couple's bag. Luna would be with her, although she found the idea of travelling in this strange vehicle unappealing. Callum had asked his mother if he could make the trip with them and Lexa could not refuse. Ryder was going to tie the boy's horse with his. 

“Do yu think ai beda go ge her?” (Do you think I should go and get her?) 

“No. Em ste probably saying leidon kom the chanchelier gon a third time.” (No, she's probably saying goodbye to the Chancellor a third time.) 

Lexa smiled. 

“Em ste the same thing each time osir return kom polis.” (It's the same every time we go back to Polis.) 

It was Ryder's turn to smile and Raven grew impatient. 

"Where is the princess?" she asked as she approached. 

"Probably with Abby," replied Lexa. 

"She's there," said Ryder, looking towards the Ark from which Clarke was finally coming out. 

The blonde ran towards them, a smile on her face. 

“Finally! We've waited long enough!" said Raven. 

Clarke rolled her eyes. 

“Sorry, but my mother kept me with her to show me Luna's tests.” 

Lexa frowned. 

“What tests?” 

"To find out if she could get sick again," replied Clarke. “The answer is no. The blood is affected only once and the effects fade. Luna could eat fish without receiving the effects of radiation.” 

"That's good news, isn't it?" asked Raven. 

Clarke nodded. 

"She has nothing to fear.” 

"Is it the same for the commander?" asked Ryder. 

"Yes. Lexa would be ill at first. You'd have red patches and you'd vomit, but once you recovered as Luna, you'd be immune.” she said looking at her wife. 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

“Speaking of black blood, I'm going to go see Luna in the Rover. She's waiting with Callum.” 

"Good! You can go to Polis. Lexa, Ryder and I will surely arrive a few hours behind you.” 

Raven nodded and waved at them as she left. She was going to take advantage of the ride to break the news to Luna and explain the Rover to her. Ryder turned around and went to check the horses one last time, as Clarke approached Lexa and took her hand with a slight smile. 

"That's not good news," whispered Lexa. 

Clarke frowned. 

"Why? You're safe and-” 

"Not you. Or Callum. Neither Arkadia nor the other clans are safe.” 

Clarke remained silent. 

"I don't want to get... this privilege if I have to be alone and without our family in Praimfaya.” 

Clarke sighed. 

"I understand... But we're not there, okay? We have six months to hope to find a solution. A shelter, a way to escape all this. Let's stay positive.” 

Lexa and Clarke stared at each other. Lexa wondered if it was a good thing for Clarke to put her energy into something impossible. There was no solution and she knew it. Raven had been clear. But Lexa knew Clarke and she decided to let her be positive. Lexa was only hoping that Clarke would quickly realize that there was nothing to do and that she would spend the last few months with her and Callum. 

Lexa finally nodded and Clarke pulled her towards the horses as the Rover started and departed for Polis. 

* * *

“Lexa?” 

The commander turned her head to her wife, smiling. 

"Would you like to stop for an hour or two at our place?" 

Clarke offered her a smile and a wink and Lexa did not need more details. She knew exactly what Clarke meant by "our place" and what the wink implied. She imagined, for a few seconds, what might follow and a beat was felt between her legs. She had the reflexes to tighten her thighs and her horse accelerated. She widened her eyes to the surprise and drew the reigns towards her. She stabilized, her cheeks full red and Clarke could not hold back her laughter. Ryder, who was ahead, turned his head, frowning. 

"Everything's fine! Keep going!" said Lexa. 

Ryder nodded as Clarke approached Lexa to gently touch her thighs. 

“All of this for a wink?” teased the blonde. “And I thought that over the years, you would have gotten used to it...” 

She let her hand slowly rise the brunette's thigh and Lexa held her breath. But Clarke removed her hand before Lexa's hoped-for destination and she left on horseback. The commander took a deep breath, trying to regain control of her body. She hurried to catch up with her wife. 

"It's not my fault. You have deprived me of intimate moments for three days...” 

"I remind you that we almost did it the day before yesterday," said Clarke, slightly amused. “And we’ve gone longer than three days. Remember your trip to SangedaKru?” 

Lexa nodded, remembering her trip very well. 

"We almost did it," murmured Lexa, not wanting Ryder to hear. “But you had to stop with your "no sex in Arkadia" rules.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes. 

“As if you weren't rewarded every time we come back to Polis.” 

Lexa didn't know what to say. It was true that Clarke always thanked her in some way for complying with this request. And in her heart, Lexa respected Clarke's wishes. She did not want sex outside their room, or at least in their home. She was only disappointed every time. 

"And I'd like to reward you... at the cabin.” 

"Me too," whispered Lexa. 

Clarke had a big smile before nodding towards Ryder. Lexa caught up with him and spoke to him for a few seconds. Clarke could not hear, but she suspected what she was saying. She saw Ryder nodding and Lexa returned to her wife's height. 

"Are you coming?" 

Clarke smiled and together they left for their cabin and the waterfall.

* * *

Raven parked the Rover near the capital since it couldn’t enter Polis. Guards outside the city approached them and quickly recognized Luna and Callum. They greeted them politely. 

“Heda and Jovaheda will arrive later, on horseback and with Ryder. Their belongings are in the back of the vehicle and they ask that everything is brought to their house,” said Callum. 

His mothers had called them by radio to informed them of their change of plan. 

"I’ll go with you,” he added. 

The guards nodded under Callum's words. The latter had been very direct and polite in his manners and the guards respected the commander's son. They left together to pick up the bags and Raven stayed near Luna, with a raised eyebrow. 

“He really looks like his mothers.” 

Luna smiled. 

"I know. Have you ever seen him in meetings?" asked the brunette. 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"Do you think I look like a girl who attends the official meetings of Polis?" said Raven with a slight mocking laugh. 

“Not really... You're more the... free type. But the free type who does what needs to be done.” 

Raven smiled but remained silent. Receiving no reply, Luna went to pick up Raven’s things in the Rover. She quickly returned and gave Raven her bag. Luna had nothing, except for the clothes she was wearing, but she was lucky to have more at her house. 

"Are you coming?” asked Luna who was already walking toward Poli's main entrance. 

Raven nodded and they walked side by side. Luna made sure to keep Raven’s pace. Raven put her bag on her shoulders and made sure she had the radio. Once inside Polis, most people they encounter greeted Luna. Even though she had long been hated since she fled the conclave, the peace that had settled over the years had changed some minds and people carried her much more in their hearts. A few people also greeted Raven with respect and Luna raised an eyebrow. 

"I didn't know you were popular here.” 

Raven had a proud smile. 

“All the wonderful work you see here... It comes from me,” she smiled. “I've worked hard with other people and I'm proud of the result." 

Luna couldn’t help but smile. 

“I must admit that I enjoy showers. It's faster than the baths you have to fill.” 

Raven's smile grew. Her pride grew as she thought of Luna's appreciation for her work. 

“Raven! Luna! What are you doing here?" asked Octavia suddenly. 

The warrior approached them, an interrogative expression on her face. 

"Hi, O'," said Raven. “We just arrived from Arkadia with Callum.” 

"Okay... But why are you here?” 

Raven looked at Luna. She didn’t know if she wanted to talk about what had happened. She had just lost her entire clan, her friends and clearly, no one had been informed in Polis. 

Luna weighed the pros and cons in her head. She knew Octavia. She knew she had been Indra's second-in-command, was a gifted warrior and she could put her feet down whether others like it or not. But she knew she was Lincoln’s wife, her dear friend. She was the mother of two beautiful little twins and respected by others. She was also a close friend of Clarke and Lexa. 

“My clan has also been affected by radiation.” 

Octavia frowned. 

“Radiation? What radiation?” 

Luna didn't understand. 

"Don't you know about it?" 

"No. Raven... What are you talking about?” 

“Abby told me not to talk about it.” 

"What?” said Octavia. “I don't understand!” 

Raven sighed and Luna decided not to get involved. 

“Listen, O'... Luna is going to live in Polis and I’ll be with her for a few days. Sinclair gave me some days off and I needed to change my mind.” 

Raven thought for a few seconds. Abby may have told her not to talk about it, but Octavia was her friend. 

And since when did she follow all orders? 

“Octavia, the situation is bad. People who get sick are not sick by chance. Nuclear power plants are melting and they are releasing their radiation into the atmosphere. We're going to die.” 

Octavia stepped back one step. 

"You must not say it to anyone! I'm going to get killed! But I trust you.” 

Octavia nodded slightly. 

"Why? And when?” 

"I can't tell you any more. I don't even want to talk about it anymore,” sighed Raven. “Wait till the lovers come back and you'll go ask them your questions.” 

“Who knows about... All of it?” 

Raven sighed. 

“Few people. Abby, Marcus, Bellamy, Echo, Jackson... Luna, Lexa, Clarke and me. I don't even think Callum knows and he's Lexa's son!” 

“Why all of you?” 

“I started researching everything that was going on and... I announced the news, while there were all of us in the same room... Abby doesn't want to talk about it. So hold it dead, until Clarke and Lexa come back!” 

Octavia nodded. Raven looked at Luna and they both said goodbye to Octavia before walking to Luna’s house. Octavia stood alone with many questions in her head. Aurora and Irene were suddenly running to their mother. Irene was on her sister's back. They both had a smile on their faces. 

"Mom!” 

Octavia turned towards her daughters. A smile took place on her face, chasing her worried expression. The twins looked ridiculous. 

"What are you doing like that?" asked Octavia, as Aurora stopped in front of her. 

"We're training!" replied Aurora. “I carry her on my back as long as I can! Irene's going to do the same next!” 

Octavia raised an eyebrow. Her daughters always had funny ideas. But she noticed that Aurora was forcing her arms, while she was holding Irene by the thighs. She was breathing quickly, while the youngest was fresh as a rose. Octavia stroked Aurora's hair. 

“Do what you want, but don't hurt yourself, please. Stop if you're in too much pain!” 

The twins nodded and Aurora was turning to leave when Octavia stopped them. 

"Where is your father?" 

“At home! He wasn't feeling well!” 

The two sisters left after answering, leaving their mother alone again. Octavia stood there, not moving. Lincoln had risen in shape with her that morning. And they had all been made aware of not eating fish and seaweed. Indra had been informed by radio that bartering and deliveries had to be stopped and that nothing should be eaten. Everyone had been informed. The brunette set off towards her house. She entered her home after a few minutes, and she immediately heard her husband coughing and spitting. She went to their room and saw him, leaning over the bed and spitting in a bowl on the floor. A mixture of vomit and blood filled the bowl and Octavia widened her eyes. 

“Lincoln! What's wrong?” 

The concerned raised his head to meet Octavia’s eyes. He had got rid of his sweater and his entire abdomen was covered in sweat, including his face. 

"I don't know... I must have eaten something bad.” 

"What do you mean? You've always been careful!” 

Lincoln leaned on the ground to vomit again. He had nothing left inside his stomach and had some spasms. The brunette tightened her jaw and ran for a wet towel. She returned quickly and hurried to wipe her husband's face. 

"What can I do?" 

“Probably nothing...” 

"What?" said Octavia, frowning. 

“Octavia... I have the same symptoms as-” 

"No! You don't have any red patches! What is happening to Podakru has nothing to do with you! You didn't even eat fish!” 

Lincoln looked away and Octavia became angry. 

"Are you kidding me? Why did you do that! You knew Lexa ordered not to consume anything!” 

Lincoln had a few spasms before answering. 

“I was with Friz for herbs and... We forgot our bags. We stopped at a village and... We were offered food... We refused, but we were... Confirmed that the fish was old enough not to be contaminated by anything.” 

Octavia passed her hand over her face. 

“Lincoln... You're more careful than that usually.” 

Lincoln wiped his face himself with the towel and Octavia got up. 

"I'm going to get Raven! Maybe she knows more!” 

Lincoln had barely had time to make a sound that Octavia had left the room. He dropped himself on the bed, while the door of the house slammed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *BIG EYES* Will Lincoln lives? Who knows?...
> 
> Well, me... of course... hehe


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa tries to reason Clarke, Raven thinks about her time in Polis, Callum shows his "commander" side.

"Fuck, Clarke!” 

Lexa was short of breath and she was desperately trying not to crush Clarke's head between her legs. The blonde's tongue was dancing on her nerve ball and Lexa felt close to orgasm. She leaned on the wall in front of her and ground her hips again. She was out of control. Clarke was holding her thighs with both hands and her wife's fluid was all over her cheeks and chin. But she loved it. 

"I...” 

Lexa’s sentence felt short. The ball in the hollow of her belly grew ever more and she despaired to feel it explode. 

She wanted to come. 

She needed to come 

Clarke squeezed her ass and surrounded Lexa's clitoris with her tongue before sucking it. Lexa’s moans increased and the seventh heaven struck her at last. Her pelvis met Clarke's face, as she closed her eyes, even more, whispering her wife's first name. Her thighs began to tremble and Clarke gently stroked Lexa with her tongue, trying to taste her for a few more moments. 

“Clarke…” 

Clarke finally took off her mouth from between Lexa's legs and met the brunette's gaze. Lexa had a tired smile on her face and Clarke quickly wiped her cheeks on the brunette's thighs. Lexa laughed before dropping near her wife. She slowly resumed her breathing and laid a slight kiss on the blonde's lips. 

“Thank you... That was great. You're great.” 

Clarke smiled and she swept the hair that had stuck to Lexa's neck with sweat. 

"It was intense," she said. 

Lexa laughed. 

“Intense, but great.” 

"Oh yes," moaned Clarke. 

Lexa kissed the blonde on the neck for a few seconds. Clarke closed her eyes as she stroked Lexa's back. 

"I love you," she murmured. 

"Ai hod you in.” 

They stayed for a moment in each other's arms until they saw the sun begin to descend into the sky. They dressed slowly, kissing between clothes before getting back on their horse and going home. 

"Are you going to arrange a meeting with the ambassadors once in Polis?" asked Clarke suddenly. 

Lexa barely held back a sigh. 

"Once in Polis," began the brunette, “I'm going to go home, spend time with you and Callum and then sleep.” 

Clarke looked up at the sky. 

“Lexa!” 

“Clarke.” 

Clarke sighed. 

“Abby told us not to say anything, Clarke, and I respect the Chancellor's decision.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes. 

“As if that would be the real reason. I know you respect my mother, but you have every right to tell everyone the news and we are trying to find a solution. 

"There isn't one, Clarke. I've told you this before. Raven, too.” 

"Nightblood is one.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

"Nightblood doesn't magically appear," replied Lexa. “You are born with and you are worthy to be Heda. You know that.” 

“Of course! But...” 

Clarke left her sentence in suspense. She had no idea what to say. Lexa was right. 

“But they have a right to know.” she finally said. 

Lexa sighed. 

"They'll know, Clarke. But not right now. I respect your mother's decision and saying news of such importance can have consequences. Abby wants to continue her research. Raven, too.” 

“But if there is no solution as you say, don't you think people should enjoy the last six months?” 

"That's what they do," replied Lexa, countering the argument. “Knowing that Praimfaya is coming back or not will not change anything.” 

There was a long silence between them. The earlier light atmosphere was now tense and Clarke slightly regretted having put this conversation back on the table. 

“Lexa... I’m sorry.” 

Lexa silently turned her gaze to her. 

“I shouldn't have talked about it and now I've clearly ruined your good mood.” 

Lexa had a little smile. 

"I'm not angry, Clarke," replied Lexa, approaching on horseback. “I'm just disappointed. I'd like you to drop the idea of saving everyone again for a while.” 

Clarke also had a smile on her face. 

"I thought that was the reason you fell in love with me in the first place?" laughed Clarke. 

Lexa raised an eyebrow and smiled. 

"I... That is not the only reason. You know that.” 

Clarke remained serious for a few seconds before laughing. Lexa relaxed slightly and rolled her eyes and Clarke stroked her arm. 

“Of course, darling... Of course.” 

They exchanged an accomplice glance before looking straight ahead and continuing in silence. 

* * *

"Are you hungry?" asked Luna, as Raven put down her bag in front of her. 

Luna and she had just entered the former’s house and Raven's mouth was slightly open. Luna's house was simply decorated, but anyone could have known who it belonged to. Raven had never slept in a house in Polis. She had always stayed in a small room in the tower. 

"Where did you get these paintings?" asked Raven, pointing to several paintings of rivers, lakes, boats and trees. 

“Clarke. She takes people's requests and paints.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"I have to admit it. She's talented.” 

"She is," said Luna. 

There were also books everywhere. The place was warm. 

"I'll show you your room." 

Raven looked at Luna before nodding and taking her bag. She followed her to the bedroom. It contained only a simple bed and an old dresser. 

"I guess you can put your things in the furniture there," said Luna, pointing to the dresser. 

Raven nodded. 

“Thank you.” 

Luna smiled and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Raven barely looked and thought for a few seconds. She had a hard time believing what she was doing. She had taken time off from her work, from Arkadia, from her friends there, to come and live with Luna, a Grounder whom she barely knew, but who attracted her in a certain way. She wanted to know her and learn about this culture, but even though she would never say it, she was a little scared. 

Scared, because she was coming out of her comfort zone. Something she hadn't done in years. She was afraid because she saw Luna, smiling and open when she had just lost everyone while she had had difficulty recovering from Finn's death. Or the thought of losing a leg. 

She threw her bag on the bed with a sigh. She put her hand on her face, closing her eyes. 

Marcus was right. She needed to talk, but she didn't know-how. She had always been the one who helped everyone. The tough one. The only time she had let herself be vulnerable was on the Ark, along with Finn. But since they came to Earth, everything had changed. 

She opened her eyes and decided to live day to day with Luna in Polis. The end of the world was approaching, one way or another, and that was one of the reasons why she would try to enjoy the next few days. 

* * *

Octavia finally arrived in front of Clarke and Lexa's house. She went up to four steps to knock on the door. She hoped the couple had arrived. She continued to knock relentlessly and the door finally opened. Callum was there, frowning. 

"Octavia? Is something wrong?” 

“Callum! Are your mothers here? Is Clarke here?” 

"No, why?” 

"Fuck," muttered the brunette. 

"Why? I can help!” 

Octavia rubbed her forehead. Clarke, the doctor she trusted the most besides Abbt, was not there and she didn't have many options. 

"Do you know medicine?" she asks Callum. 

"Yes. Not as much as mon or-” 

"But more than me!” said Octavia. “Come with me!” 

She was already going down the stairs and Callum hurried to follow her. He had no idea what was going on, but he was trying to be confident. It was the first time his two mothers had been missing and he was called in for help. Although he was slightly anxious, he remembered that Octavia was like a real aunt and that he had to stand up one day or another. It was his opportunity to show that he deserved his title as Heda's son and to put his knowledge into practice. 

They finally arrived at Octavia's house and the warrior finally spoke. 

“Lincoln is sick! He ate fish and he vomits.” 

Callum frowned. He didn't what he was hearing. 

"There is blood, but no red patches yet! Do you know what's happening to Podakru?” 

"Yes," said Callum. "And what happened to Floukru.” 

Octavia nodded as they entered the room. Lincoln was slightly unconscious and Octavia noticed that there was no more vomit than when she left. Callum approached Lincoln. He touched his forehead to check his fever. It didn't seem as strong as Luna’s and the others. Callum looked into the bowl and saw some blood. He tightened his jaw and tried to remember Luna or Adria. 

"He has no patches," said Callum. 

"Is that good news?" asked Octavia. 

Callum nodded. 

“According to Mom, red patches on the skin are a decisive symptom of radiation.” 

Octavia remembered what Raven had told her. 

"What exactly do you know about radiation?" she asked. 

Lincoln moaned and Callum looked at Octavia. 

“Nomon told me about a second Praimfaya and that's why fish and algae are contaminated. Floukru and Podakru have consumed it first and that's why they are sick. But luckily we realized it and had their consumption stopped.” 

Octavia nodded. 

"I also know that when we are sick, they die.” 

"There's nothing we can do?" 

Octavia was trying not to panic. 

“That's what they say! But I don't think Lincoln's in danger right now! It has no patches and the amount of vomit and blood is low.” 

"He said he didn't eat much. And that it was pretty old. 

"That's probably what's going to save him. I'm sorry Aunt Octavia, but I saw what happened to Luna and her whole clan. There's nothing I can do. Mom couldn't do anything, either. Only make sure he always has a fresh towel for fever. 

Octavia nodded and raised her hand on Callum's shoulder. 

"Thank you, Cal. I hope you're right.” 

Callum wanted to say "me too," but he remembered that he had to be confident. 

"I'm right. He's going to be fine.” 

He gave her a slight smile and Octavia felt slightly reassured. She drew her nephew towards her and hug him, seeking comfort. Her daughters were not there and she had seen Callum grow up. The young boy let himself be hugged, in no way disturbed by the mark of affection. 

"You really are the son of Clarke and Lexa," smiled Octavia, as she recoiled. 

Callum frowned. 

“Confident and ready to help anyone,” she clarified. 

He had a proud smile. 

"I'm doing my best. I want to make them proud and be there for others.” 

Octavia nodded. 

"You can go home if you want. There's nothing you can do and it's late.” 

Callum nodded. 

“I will send my moms here as soon as I see them.” 

"Okay. Thank you.” 

Callum nodded before leaving the house. Octavia went to sit on the bed, near Lincoln, and gently stroked his face. 

"You're going to be fine, honey.” 

* * *

Twenty hours had passed during which Clarke and Lexa had returned to Polis and had been aware of Lincoln's situation. He had spent the night with his daughters, each of them having slept near their father. Octavia had also looked after her husband, but she had requested a meeting as soon as possible with Clarke and Lexa. She wanted to know more. Indra had also attended the meeting and both women were now aware of the situation. 

Clarke had reassured Octavia and her daughters that Lincoln would be fine. The fact that he spent the night without his condition worsening had been decisive for the future of his health. She estimated that within another day, Lincoln would be in good shape again. 

Indra and Octavia knew about Praimfaya and the brunette had told Lincoln about it. The three knew they had to keep the news secret until further notice and they were not as destabilized as Abby, Marcus or Bellamy. 

Upon her arrival in Polis, Lexa had decided to send messengers to each ambassador to tell them that Floukru had been decimated entirely by the consumption of fish and seaweed and that their leader, Luna, was the only survivor. She had, however, not mentioned Nightblood and Praimfaya. 

Lexa was going to meet Gaia, near the cliff where she was teaching the Nightbloods and where she usually speared with them. She stood in silence to listen to what Gaia was teaching. Gaia noticed Lexa and she continued for a few more minutes before giving them a break to find Lexa. 

"Heda," she greeted her, leaning in front of her. 

Lexa greeted her in return and Gaia stood beside her. 

"I'm starting to find the situation tricky, Heda," she said. 

“What situation?” 

“The Nightbloods’. You are the longest-serving commander after Becca Pramheda and the Nightbloods are now divided into two age groups. Aden and the others are now almost all twenty-five years old and the other four are ten years old or younger.” 

Lexa nodded, having also noticed the problem. 

“I know that age differences have never been a problem before. 

Lexa nodded. 

“But teaching also becomes difficult, because the older ones have already learned everything, but they still attend classes with the youngest.” 

"They should focus on the fight," said Lexa. “Teachings are always important and they can observe too, but to avoid a waste of time, they are exempted from the courses already taken.” 

Gaia nodded. 

"I'm going to put it all in place tomorrow, Heda.” 

"I also need to talk to you about something. About Praimfaya.” 

Gaia frowned. 

“As Flame Keeper and all the beliefs surrounding your title, it is important that you are made aware of the situation. A second Praimfaya is coming.” 

"How do you know?" 

"Sraikru. Their mechanic, Raven, whom you know, discovered that deaths from fish and algae are the first signs of Praimfaya.” 

"When?" asked Gaia. 

“Six months.” 

"What about Nightbloods?" she asked. “It has been closely linked to Praimfaya since the first commander.” 

"I know, Gaia," replied Lexa. “Nightblood protects us from Praimfaya. Luna kom Floukru was also sick like her whole clan, but as you know, she survived. Chancellor Abby has done tests and Nightblood rejects the effects of radiation-related to Praimfaya.” 

Gaia smiled. Her beliefs and teachings took on even more meaning. 

"So you and the others will survive?” 

Lexa nodded. 

"That's very good news," smiled Gaia. 

Lexa forced herself to nod as she watched the other Nightbloods talk to each other. She didn’t know if she wanted to live with them after Praimfaya. She was close to all of them since she had spent almost every day of her commander’s life with them. Despite everything, she couldn’t bear the thought of living without Clarke and Callum. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you liked it :)
> 
> Of course, I wouldn't' kill Lincoln, don't worry ;) 
> 
> Next chapter (I think) will be about Lexa telling everything to the other ambassadors with Raven. Stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small moment with SeaMechanic, Clarke receives news and two girl night.

Raven woke up disoriented. Her body automatically straightened to be in a sitting position and she looked at the room, her eyes slightly widening. She was sure she was late for work, but at the sight of the room, her shoulders relaxed and her eyes closed for a few seconds. A sigh came out of her lips and she passed a hand over her face. She didn’t know what time it was, but she was sure that it was way past her usual time. 

She pulled out the blankets and stretched a little. She felt rested. After unpacking her bag the day before, Raven had gone for a walk with Luna and they decided to eat what people were offering during the evening. They had then returned to Luna's house and went to bed a short time later. 

She got up and put jeans on and changed her t-shirt before putting on her leg brace. She couldn’t feel pain in her leg anymore, thanks to Abby's work, but without her brace, her leg prevented her from moving. She put on her boots and finally got out of the room. The house was illuminated by the sunlight and she headed towards the living room. She saw Luna sitting on the couch with her head buried in a book. 

She smiled when she saw her. Luna had not yet noticed her, but Raven's stomach made a funny sound and Luna raised her head. She let out a laugh. 

"Have you finally decided to join me?" smiled Luna. 

"No, I was just hungry," replied Raven. 

Luna laughed again and the sound made Raven smiled. They looked at each other for a few seconds. 

"What are you reading?" asked Raven while walking toward her to sit on the chair beside her. 

Luna showed her the cover of the book. Its cover was damaged and Raven read the title out loud. 

“Ltaire. dide or optimism.” 

She raised an eyebrow. 

"Don't forget the half-face disfigured," added Luna, referring to the drawing on the book. 

"What is it about?” 

“It talks about religions, the beliefs that people have in them. Instead of looking at happiness as something that will come by someone else or searching it in the sky, we should rather look for it here and now.” 

Raven thought it was a little ironic. The book represented the life they all lived today. It reminded her of what she had said to herself the day before: that she would live one day at a time to be happy. 

"This is the second time I've read it," added the brunette, closing it to put it near her. “I could lend it to you.” 

Raven shrugged. 

"I'm not a philosophical person.” 

Luna raised an eyebrow and Raven laughed. 

“Let's say I prefer books that talk about mechanics, engineering, science, space... Do you have that with you?" she asked with a grin. 

Luna tried not to appear destabilized, but she was intrigued by what Raven had just told her. 

“No, but we could go and see in the tower.” 

"The tower?" said Raven. 

Luna nodded. 

"That's where the books are. I prefer to buy them, but most people borrow them and then bring them back.” 

“Like a library.” 

"A what?" asked Luna, frowning. 

Raven couldn't help herself but laugh. She wasn't so used to interacting with Grounders so much and if she was honest, she thought it was funny. 

“This is the name given to the place where there are lots of books and where people will borrow them temporarily.” 

"I didn't know.” 

“Clearly.” 

“We have a lot to learn from each other, Raven.” 

She nodded. 

“I agree... Luna.” 

They smiled and Raven's stomach gurgled again. Luna got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. 

"I have tea and beef for you.” 

"It's going to be a very interesting holiday...," whispered Raven before getting up and following her.

* * *

“Avoid walking as much as possible. Running is forbidden and if possible, try not to stretch too often. I want to make sure the stitches stay there.” 

The young Nightblood nodded with a sigh. She had been sent by Lexa a few minutes earlier, after being stabbed in the thigh by another Nightblood during training. The wound was rather deep and Lexa and Gaia wanted to make sure there was no infection. 

“I have to apply these directions for how long?” 

Clarke examined the stitches for a few seconds. 

"I'd say a week at least.” 

The girl seemed clearly disappointed and Clarke put her hand on her arm. 

"I'll talk to Heda myself," she smiled, winking at her. “You'll attend your classes and watch the workouts.” 

The young woman smiled. 

“I hope Heda is not disappointed." 

“Don't worry. Heda looks tough, but believe me,” she added, leaning forward, “she's really sweet on the inside and she only wants your happiness.” 

The young woman's smiled grew even larger and she swallowed a laugh. The Nightbloods were all close enough to Lexa to know how compassionate she was, but they also knew she expected a lot from them and hearing something like that from the commander was always weird. 

Clarke was proud of her when she saw the face of the girl so joyful. 

"Can I go back?" she asked. 

"Yes, but be careful!” 

The young girl nodded. 

“Thank you, Jovaheda. I'm grateful for that.” 

Clarke got up from her chair to put away the unused stitches and to wash the needle, discard the tissues and wash her hands. Everything was covered in blood and stopping the bleeding had been rather long. She was slightly surprised to see the young woman enter without tears and with a stoic face, as she was walking with difficulty, a bandage tied over her wound. 

Clarke was washing her hands when she heard Indra's voice further away. She heard her name and wiped her hands before turning to watch the warrior's coming inside. 

Indra entered and greeted the blonde respectfully. 

"Hi, Indra. Are you all right?" asked Clarke. 

"I am.” 

Clarke nodded and Indra handed her the radio. 

“James has contacted us and he has good news.” 

Clarke raised an eyebrow as she took the radio. 

“James? It’s Clarke.” 

“Hi, Clarke! I've got some good news!” 

"That's what I was told.” 

“We followed the commander’s orders and no more people were are sick! The situation seems to be stabilizing.” 

Clarke smiled. Even if the "real" situation was, until now, without a solution, she was happy to know that the clan would not suffer more deaths for now and that everything would work out for them. 

"That's great, James. The commander is not here to hear the news, but I will tell her quickly. We also thank you and the healer of the mountain clan for your time and effort.” 

"We're as happy as you are! Are we rejoining our respective clans?” 

“I have to talk to the commander first to find out how she sees the situation, but I would not object. Thank you again, James.” 

“Don’t worry. I'm waiting for your call.” 

Clarke turned off the radio and handed it to Indra. 

"Do you know if Octavia is okay?" asked Clarke. “You see her more than I do in a day.” 

"She's fine. She is strong and knowing that Lincoln is going to be okay is helping her.” 

Clarke nodded. 

"She's a fighter, that's true... Could you give her a message for me?” 

"Yes. 

“Tell him I'm inviting her with Raven to my house tonight. For dinner.” 

"Okay. I'll tell her.” 

"Thank you, Indra! Now I'm going to help the other wounded.” 

Indra nodded and headed for the markets. She soon found Octavia buying meat. She waited until the brunette had finished before approaching. 

"Hi, Indra," smiled Octavia, seeing her approaching. 

Octavia had regained her good mood when she saw Lincoln's condition. 

"Hi. I'm glad to see you smile.” 

"Me too," admitted Octavia. “I was afraid of losing him, but when I saw him this morning, I knew he was going to be fine.” 

"I was scared too," confessed Indra. 

Lincoln and she were from the same village, Ton DC, and she had seen him grow up. She had always been close to him and her relationship with Octavia had brought them even closer together. 

"You have to come to eat dinner with Gaia soon," added Octavia. “The twins have been asking me for it for a week now.” 

Indra laughed. 

"I love them," smiled Indra. “Young warriors with full potential.” 

"That's for sure. And they love you too. You scare them sometimes, but still.” 

"I have a message from Clarke. She invites you and Raven to eat dinner at her house.” 

Octavia remained silent. 

"Do you have an answer?" said Indra. 

The brunette shrugged. 

"I'm not sure. Lincoln is getting better, but I don't know if it's a good idea to leave him alone.” 

"The girls are going to be with him.” 

“Yeah...” 

"They are able to take care of their father and Lincoln would like you to go. I want it, too.” 

Octavia rolled her eyes and smiled. 

"Okay, okay! But promise me you'll go to my house and see that Aurora and Irene aren't doing anything stupid and to check Lincoln's condition.2 

“Promised.”

* * *

Lexa entered her home after several hours with the Nightbloods and an urgent meeting about food exportation with each clan. Praimfaya was always in a part of her head and she wanted to have a quiet evening with her family to change her mind. It was almost dinner time and she sighed with happiness as she breathed the smell of meat and vegetables around the house. She left her boots on the rug before walking inside the house to go in their bedroom to remove her shoulder padron and heavy commander coat. She was left in simple black jeans and a long-sleeved sweater as she heard Callum and Clarke talking in the kitchen together. She finally joined them and smiled upon seeing them. Clarke was cooking, while Callum was leaning on the counter to talk to her. 

"Good evening!" said Lexa, approaching Clarke to leave a kiss on her cheek. 

Clarke finally noticed Lexa’s presence in their house and she turned her head to kiss her properly on the lips. 

“Hi, mom.” 

"Hi, Cal," she smiled. “How was your day?” 

“Great! I was just telling mom that I saw a five-legged deer during our class.” 

“I saw a two-headed deer on my first day on Earth! I couldn't believe my eyes!” 

Callum laughed and Lexa smiled as she reached out to take a vegetable. 

"No!” exclaimed Clarke, pushing her hand away. “It's not for you!” 

Lexa frowned. 

"What?” 

“Octavia and Raven are coming here soon to eat dinner with me. I invited them to a girls' night. You're going to Luna's.” 

"And when were you going to tell me?" asked Lexa, slightly annoyed that Clarke hadn’t told her earlier. 

"I didn't want to bother you with the meeting and I didn't think you were going to be home so late.” 

Lexa rolled her eyes. 

"Where did your mom send you for the evening?" she asked Callum looking for some support. 

"I'm going to Irene and Aurora's. Aunt Octavia offered it to me. We’ll have fun!” answered Callum with a big smile. 

Lexa nodded. 

"Don't be angry! added Clarke. “You're going to have your own girl night with your friend, too, Lex.” 

“Uh-uh... I just got thrown out of my own house by my wife... But sill.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes under Lexa's melodramatic phrase. 

“You should leave right away and bring Cal with you.” 

Lexa nodded silently. She was really disappointed to spend the evening separated from her family and she felt their home a little hurt that Clarke threw her out so quickly. Callum went to take his coat and Lexa crossed her arms. 

“You're lucky I took a shower before my meeting because I would have been even more late.” 

Clarke bit her lip. 

“Sorry...” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

"I'm serious," smiled Clarke, pushing her into the ribs. 

The gesture made the brunette smile slightly. 

"That's it! Your beautiful smile!” 

Lexa tried to put her stoic face back on as she did so well before, but after 14 years with Clarke, she had completely softened. Clarke uncrossed her arms quietly before tickling her in the ribs. Lexa widened her eyes and immediately laughed. 

“Clarke! Stop!” she said while laughing. 

Clarke took pity on her wife and she stopped. Lexa kept her hands around her to protect herself, her eyes slightly wide as she shot arrows to Clarke with her eyes but still with her smile on her lips. Clarke laughed and Callum walked back into the kitchen. 

"You’re real children,” he said. 

"I'm only thirty-two years old, young man," replied Clarke. 

“That what I said. It's old," he added. 

Lexa looked at him, raising an eyebrow, an air of defiance on her face. 

"You're insinuating that I'm even older, then?" 

“Uh... We're going to be late for the girls!” 

Callum escaped from the room, leaving his mothers more than amused. Clarke quickly kissed Lexa on the cheek before giving her a small tap on the butt. 

“I love you.” 

Lexa kissed her back before going to put on her boots to go out with Callum. Only a few minutes later, Clarke heard knocks on the door and she barely had time to take a step toward the door because the girls were already in. 

“Clarke-y!” 

Clarke rolled her eyes, smiling under the name Raven liked to use. She walked up to them to greet them and laughed when she saw Raven with a bottle of alcohol in her hands. 

“Bring two glasses, Griffin!” ordered Raven. 

Clarke raised an eyebrow. 

“There's three of us, Raven!” 

"I know!” she said. “I drink from the bottle!” 

The three women laughed and Raven and Octavia went into the living room while Clarke went into the kitchen to take three glasses, ignoring her friend's comment. She returned and found Octavia comfortably seated on the couch. Raven was standing in front of the bookshelf, looking at each of the backs of the books. 

"Are you interested in literature, Rae?" asked Octavia, as Clarke poured alcohol into the glasses. 

Raven shrugged, turning slowly, a book in her hands. 

"Can I borrow it from you?" she asked Clarke. 

"Of course. Are you going to read it? 

She handed each of the girls a drink before taking hers and taking her first sip. 

"Not my kind of book," replied Raven. 

"Because you have a kind?" scoffed Octavia. “I've never seen you with a book in your hands! Except maybe an instruction book.” 

Clarke hid her laughter and Raven hit Octavia on the arm as she sat next to her. 

“First, I don't need an instruction book, because I know everything and secondly, I like to read.” 

"We're still learning about each other," said Clarke. “But who is it for, then?” 

"Luna," replied Raven, trying to appear detached. 

Clarke smiled and looked at Octavia from the corner of her eye. 

"I had forgotten all this," said Clarke. “How's it going with her so far?” 

"Your first night at her house, "added Octavia. “We want to know what happened!” 

Raven swallowed the rest of her glass in a sip before filling it again. The other two girls looked at her without a word, knowing that she should not be pressed. Raven then started to massage her leg before answering. 

"It's fine," she replied at last. “I never thought I'd get along so well with a Grounder, you know...” 

"We know," said Clarke. “You are close with Lexa and I have already seen you talking with Ryder or Indra, but...” 

“They often go to Arkadia and you've known them since we landed.” 

"Yeah," said Raven. “But...” 

There was a long silence in which Clarke and Octavia drank what was in their glass while staring at Raven. 

“Never mind,” said Raven. 

"No!” exclaimed Octavia. “Tell us, Rae! Clarke invited us for that, didn't she? So we could talk to each other and all.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes. 

"Not just for that," she laughed. 

"Please!” added the brunette with a pout while stroking Raven's arm. 

She raised an eyebrow before lowering her gaze towards her friend's hand. 

"I feel violated right now.” 

They all laughed and Octavia raised her hand in the air. 

"Okay, miss prude.” 

"Prude? You chose your word wrong," added Clarke. 

Raven nodded. 

“Why are you so interested in Luna and me?” 

“It's new for us to see you here and living with a Grounder.” 

Clarke bit her lip. 

"Well... my mother spoke to me.” 

Raven looked up at the sky. 

"I'm fine, Clarke. I don't need you or Lexa to feel sorry for me. I came here to... Take a vacation. Abby and Sinclair asked me to and they wanted me to be with Luna for a while. What happened to her sucks and I couldn't let her face it alone.” 

Clarke and Octavia nodded, even though each of them thought that Luna would have been surrounded by friends instead of being alone but they reminded silent. 

"We understand, Raven," said Clarke. “How's she doing?” 

"It's surprising but pretty good. When we arrived last night, we walked around Polis and ate in the capital. This morning, when I woke up, she was in the living room reading a book she had already read.” 

"How did she look?" asked Octavia. 

“Well. She cooked me a small breakfast and we went to the library. She's going through this very well. I haven't seen her cry once, make a funny allusion or just talk about it.” 

"The dead are gone, the living are hungry," said Clarke. “That's what Lexa told me a few days after we met. I don't think Luna thinks any different.” 

Raven nodded slightly as she looked at the ground. 

"It doesn't even surprise me that she told you that," said Octavia. 

Clarke laughed. 

"Well, I don’t think she would tell me that today.” 

"Of course. She’s “heart-eyes” now and not Heda, commander of the blood.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes under the comment. 

"Touché," she said. 

There was another short-lived silence. 

"And you get along well with her?" asked Octavia. 

"Yes," replied Raven. “She is... attentive and very open. She doesn't ask me ten thousand questions like the two of you.” 

“Fine!” said Clarke. “We’ll stop.” 

"For now," added Octavia. 

Raven laughed again and she hit her on the shoulder. 

"Are you hungry?" asked Clarke. “I cooked something really good with red wine.” 

"I’m starving!” replied Raven. 

They went into the kitchen to eat, while on the other side of Polis, Lexa was with Luna. The commander had only been at her friend's house for a few minutes and had just received a drink. Luna was looking for what to give Lexa to eat, but she sighed when she realized she had nothing. 

"You haven't been to the market since you arrived?" asked Lexa. 

“No... I preferred to spend my time with Raven and she ate the last things I had this morning.” 

Lexa nodded, hiding her smile. 

"And do you get along with her? I know she can be really hard to open up to others.” 

Luna frowned. 

"Really? She hasn't given me that impression since I've known her.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

"She has a funny sense of humour,” added Lexa. 

"That's for sure," smiled Luna. 

“And she is stubborn, proud, very intelligent and she is a very good friend, I must admit.” 

"I'm happy for you, you know. I am happy that you have several friends. That you can count on several people.” 

Lexa nodded. 

“I know what you mean. I’m happy about that too.” 

There was a silence and Lexa thought of a conversation she had had with Clarke. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

“Of course!" 

"Can you get Raven to talk?" 

Luna raised an eyebrow. 

"She's already doing it very well without my help," laughed Luna. 

Lexa mocked herself internally. 

"Let me rephrase. Can you make her talk about her feelings? Clarke is concerned about her because she has never talked about her problems before. She doesn’t talk about her feeling like I do usually but at least I have Clarke with whom I can confide, but Raven, she has no one. She’s close to Abby but Clarke told me she closed herself off.” 

"I know a bit about her story. Well, the reason she's here with me. Abby told me about it.” 

“Good... Clarke thinks it would be good for her to share her thought and feelings and in my opinion, having seen how you behave with each other, you would be perfect.” 

Luna smiled and nodded. 

"It's true that we get along well. And I'd love to get her to talk about her. I noticed that she often used humour and sarcasm to hide.” 

"Typical of Raven," said Lexa. “Clarke and I really appreciate it.” 

Luna smiled. 

"It's nothing.” 

The two friends smiled at each other before changing the topic of their conversation to something lighter. Soon, they were laughing as they were remembering fond memories shared together as a child. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hoped you liked this chapter. It was all cute, I know. Next one will have a longer SeaMechanic moment and you'll slowly start to read more about Praimfaya.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa tells the ambassadors about Praimfaya after Abby and Marcus announce her a solution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really satisfied with how this chapter look. I tried my best at translating it but as you know, I'm studying translation to translate English to french, not the other way around.

Lexa woke up but kept her eyes closed. She didn't want to get up. Not when she had her wife in her arms. Clarke's breath was softly stroking her neck and her hair was tickling her shoulder slightly. She knew it was still a little dark outside, the sun being low in the sky, despite her eyes closed. But she was giving herself mental encouragement to get up. She had to go running with Callum to keep fit before the council she had organized to finally tell everyone the truth about Praimfaya. She had agreed with Clarke that hiding everything would not change anything and Clarke had remembered the story with her father on the Ark. She knew better than to keep the truth to herself. 

Clarke, for the last three days, had thought of all possible solutions. Treatments, shelters, radiation suits... but nothing could work or could not be realized. She had sided with Lexa, who was spending her days as if nothing had happened, while deep down she was apprehensive about the moment when she would be separated from everyone, along with Luna and the Nightbloods. 

Lexa finally opened her eyes, not without a grunt. Her eyelids closed on their own, but she took a deep breath as she stared at the ceiling. She felt Clarke's hand dragging on her belly. With her eyes open, she saw that it was clearer than usual outside and seeing the sunlight gave her some energy to find the effort to get up. Clarke's arm slipped or her body to fall on the bed. The blonde did not wake up, having become accustomed to feeling Lexa get up early in the morning. The brunette put on light clothes and shoes before putting a quick kiss on Clarke's cheek who didn't even move. She finally came out of their bedroom to go into the bathroom. She heard Callum in the kitchen and smiled. She hurried to drink water and put water on her face before going to meet her son. 

"Ready?" she asked, stopping in the kitchen frame. 

Callum raised his head to smile before going to join her. He looked as tired as her but they were both used to getting up early. They were sharing this moment for years now and both were grateful to have this time together. 

"Are you?" retorted Lexa. “You look like you’re going to sleep right in the kitchen.” 

Lexa pushed him jokingly, as her son passed by her and they went outside to stretch.

* * *

"Do you think I should mention our solution during the council?" 

Abby looked around her, as passers-by spoke to each other. She was anxious that someone had heard. 

"I don't think so, Marcus," she replied, deferring her attention to the man in front of her. 

They were sitting at a table in Polis to eat their breakfast. They arrived the night before in Polis. Marcus had to be there for the week council and he knew this meeting’s topic: Praimfaya. Abby had tagged along to see her daughter and grandson and to specially tell Lexa and Clarke about their recent discovery. 

"I'm glad you asked Monty about it because now we have a real solution, Abby! A real shelter,” said Marcus, now sitting on the tip of his chair to whisper. 

“We're going to have to work to get it.” 

"I'm aware of that, but-” 

"But," said Abby, interrupting him, "Only a hundred people will have _that_ chance, Marcus. You really want to share this with...” 

“Other humans?” continued Marcus. “I thought you knew how I felt about them. We are no better than Grounders.” 

The doctor sighed while playing with her food. It was a very sensitive subject and no one knew what to do. With some improvements, the Ark could be viable after Praimfaya and house a hundred people. A real and possible solution, but she and Marcus were visibly torn about the decision to be made. 

"We could at least tell them that the Ark can save us. We should not mention how many people could live through. The bad news of Praimfaya would be followed by a good one, at least.” 

Abby shrugged. 

"I think we should talk to Lexa about it first. She's the commander, and maybe she should approve whether or not you should mention all this.” 

Marcus nodded. 

"I agree.”

* * *

Lexa's hair was still wet, while she was standing in front of the mirror to braid her hair. Her fingers were weaving with unprecedented speed while Clarke was watching her do it as she was leaning into the door frame of their bathroom. 

"I love you," said Clarke spontaneously, staring at her wife through the mirror. 

Lexa's face lit up with a big smile. 

"I love you too, my love.” 

It was the blonde's turn to smile and she stayed a few more seconds where she was to wait for Lexa to finish her braid before approaching. She surrounded Lexa with her arms, sticking completely to her. Her chest against her back and her face in her neck. 

"You smell so good," murmured Clarke, staring Lexa in the eye through the mirror. 

Lexa controlled her breathing like a pro, showing no weakness after feeling Clarke behind her, breasts against her back and her crotch on her. But her eyes were betraying her. They had always betrayed her. Clarke slowly began to move her pelvis again Lexa’s ass, gaining the satisfaction of increasing the beat that had already lit up between her legs. Lexa squeezed the rim of the counter in front of her. Her jaw followed closely. 

_“Clarke._ Callum is in the other room.” 

Clarke kept moving against Lexa as she looked down for a few seconds to look at her wife's chest in her sweater. 

“And? He’s always in the other room when we fuck.” 

Clarke saw Lexa’s struggle with her breathing and she smiled proudly. She knew her choice of words could affect Lexa’s body reaction. 

“It's just that... I really want you. It’s been almost a week.” 

Lexa bit her lip and Clarke could not guess if it was because she felt guilty or because her crotch had just met Lexa’s ass more fiercely than the previous times. Lexa lowered her hands on Clarke's, stopping them from tightening her waist and distracting her. But Clarke was distracted by the sensations she felt. The ball in the bottom of her belly was getting bigger and she felt her underwear getting wetter. 

"I'm sorry I neglected you, Clarke," apologized Lexa, pushing her wife slightly to turn around and face her. 

The blonde groaned plaintively at the loss of friction and she inhaled deeply. 

"I’ll make love to you tonight. I promise.” 

“But it's only nine o'clock in the morning.” 

Lexa had a slight smile and she stepped forward to kiss her gently. 

“Your patience will be well deserved. Trust me.” 

"I know I can trust you. That's the best part.” 

They both smiled as they looked at each other for a few seconds. Clarke finally took Lexa's hand and pulled her out of the bathroom. 

“Go get dress. You don't want to be late.” 

Lexa rolled her eyes. 

“You were ready to make love to me a minute ago and now you don’t want me to get late?” 

Clarke shrugged before going to the living room. Callum was reading and Clarke picked up her pencil and drawing book. Minutes later, there were knocks on the door. 

"I'm going!" said Callum. 

Clarke laid her things on the coffee table in front of her, as she heard her mother talking to Callum. 

“Hi, big man! You know you're getting more and more muscle every day?” 

"Puberty is about to strike and someone is going to have to show you how to shave," added Marcus. 

Clarke rolled her eyes, in total denial that her son would soon be a "man". Callum reappeared, a few seconds later with Abby and Marcus behind him. 

"What are you doing here?" asked Clarke. 

"I’m happy to see you too, my dear," said Abby, pulling her daughter for a hug. 

Clarke hugged her mother, smiling. 

“I'm sorry. I just didn't expect to see you before the council.” 

"We’re sorry to have come here without warning," said Marcus. “Is Lexa here?” 

Clarke nodded and called her wife. 

"Are you thirsty?" asked Clarke, meanwhile. 

"No, I'm fine.” 

"Same," said Marcus, "We just had lunch.” 

Clarke nodded and Lexa entered the living room. 

“Hi! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in.” 

"Don’t worry," said Marcus. “We're sorry to bother you, but we had a question.” 

“Which one?” 

Abby looked at Marcus and the latter nodded. 

“We have... Well, Monty has found a solution for Praimfaya.” 

The two wives frowned, their curiosity showing. 

“With a lot of work, Arkadia could shelter a hundred people safely during Praimfaya. The tools to produce food and water are at our fingertips with a little work and the Ark was built to resist radiation.” 

"Radiation from more than a hundred years ago, Marcus," said Clarke. 

"That's exactly why we have to work to repair the walls, the holes.” 

There was a slight silence in which they thought of the new information. 

"One hundred people?" said Lexa. “Not one more?” 

Marcus nodded negatively and Lexa sighed. 

“That's very good news!” exclaimed Clarke. “A real solution! What we wanted.” 

"Don't get too excited, Clarke," said Lexa. 

"That was our news. The question is if we can mention it during the council,” added Marcus. 

"I don't think that's a good idea," said Abby. “This is good news in general, but the number of people who will have this chance-” 

"Who will be chosen," said Lexa. “These hundred people will be chosen. The four of us know that.” 

Abby lowered her head slightly and Clarke turned Lexa towards her by the arm. 

“Lexa, don't stop at this detail. It's a chance besides black blood. Those hundred people who will be chosen... Will be thought out with care. 

“They will probably be from Arkadia.” 

"Not necessarily,” said Clarke. 

Abby opened her mouth to retort but she decided not to. She knew that her thoughts were not appropriate at the moment. 

“Every person must have the right to be in Arkadia when the time is right. I cannot allow injustice to happen.” 

"But Lexa, you must have a place in the lot. And you'll want me to be there with you. Callum too.” 

Lexa nodded slightly. 

"And I hope my mother will be there. Marcus and probably Jackson to help within medical. And Raven will be important. Monty too! But if Monty is there- 

"I get it, Clarke. That’s exactly what I just said. Those hundred people will be from Arkadia.” 

Lexa sighed. 

"It's complicated, I know," said Clarke. "But we can't afford to save anyone. Some people are essential to survival. Doctors, engineers, mechanics...” 

"We also want to avoid a riot, Lexa," said Abby. “We don't want to go back in time and become the clan that everyone hates by mentioning the news.” 

Lexa nodded. 

"I understand.” 

"I think it would be better not to talk about it or at least to avoid mentioning the number of people," added the Chancellor. 

"I will mention the news myself when the time is right," said Lexa at last. “And I can't lie about the number of people. Some ambassadors will quickly ask who and how many people could be there and I cannot afford to lie to them. They'll know about it sooner or later.”

* * *

The ambassadors were already seated and the Nightbloods were all upstairs just before Lexa's arrival. Luna had taken the seat of her ambassador in the room. She was her clan leader but had always preferred that someone else frequently go to Polis so that she could stay with her clan herself. She was silent, watching others talk to each other. They had all went to her to sympathize with her earlier, telling her that they were sorry for her loss. She was grateful, but still preferred to avoid the subject. 

Raven was also in the room behind the ambassadors. Lexa invited her to speak and explain the situation and what they would face over time. She and Monty had contacted each other by radio to do more research and found some disturbing details for them in the future. 

_“En. Rise gon your_ _Heda_ _._ (Everyone. Stand up for your commander.) 

The room was silent in a matter of seconds and each person got up from their chair to watch Lexa enter. The brunette walked up the carpet, while everyone bowed to her. Lexa turned once to her throne and looked towards Clarke who was just beside Marcus. 

Lexa then looked at the ambassadors and Gaia told them to sit. Once they were all looking at her, Lexa sat down on her throne. 

“Today's topic is related to the sick people who have sadly passed away and will answer questions from many of you regarding the consumption of fish and algae. You've probably acknowledged the presence of the Skaikru's chief mechanic, Raven Reyes.” 

Raven had a proud smile when she was called "chief mechanic" by Lexa. She turned her gaze to Luna, interested in her reaction, but Luna was staring at Lexa and Raven felt disappointment in her. 

"Raven will add more information about today’s topic later.” Lexa marked a pause. “Fish and algae are dangerous to health and can no longer be eaten in any form.” 

Lexa turned her head to Clarke. The blonde rose to speak. 

“You have probably witnessed the symptoms of their consumption. Red patches on the skin, vomiting and blood, difficulty to breath... from my medical opinion and the Chancellor and doctor of Arkadia, these symptoms are officially those of radiation. Or would it be better to say: Praimfaya.” 

The ambassadors looked at each other with wide eyes. They started to whisper and Lexa raised her hand. 

" _Shof of.”_

Everyone felt silent. 

“After extensive research, it is safe to say that a second Praimfaya is coming and unfortunately, not everyone will survive.” 

“Not everyone?” 

"This is not a willful injustice," replied Lexa dryly, staring at him. 

"Luna survived the first sign of Praimfaya, while her entire clan was unfortunately decimated," said Gaia. “Everyone is very sorry for your loss, Luna kom Floukru, but you are proof that our beliefs, our origins are even better. That the commander is the strongest.” 

Lexa tightened her jaw. She respected and believed the teachings she had received on Praimfaya and the Nightbloods, but over the years new perspectives had come into play. 

“Nightblood is resistant to Praimfaya. The gift that Becca Pramheda brought us allows us to survive, again,” continued Gaia. 

“Nightblood is the reason she's still alive?” exclaimed the valley ambassador. 

"Yes, that's the reason," replied Luna before Lexa or Gaia did. “And you can stop talking like I'm not here or like I'm just a kid.” 

Raven and Clarke had a smile on their faces. Luna was direct and some ambassadors had a shocked expression on their faces. 

Lexa raised her hand to demand silence again. 

"Chancellor Griffin will say more about Nightblood," she said. 

"Nightblood filters radiation that the body ingests through food, air or skin. The first time a Nightblood experience radiation, they show symptoms like anyone else. Luna was contaminated like the others. She had all the symptoms at her worst for a whole day. But, as the others died one by one, Luna slowly recovered. Her blood had begun to get used to this new higher level of radiation in her body. She healed. Now, Luna could eat fish without being sick or having any signs of contamination.” 

New whispers were heard and Luna rolled her eyes. She hated being so privileged. 

"Nightbloods would all be immune!" said an ambassador. 

"Indeed," said Lexa. “They will all get sick the first time they are exposed to it, but recovery will be quick.” 

"But what will happen to us? Those who do not have Nightblood?” asked an ambassador. 

"You are all going to die," replied Lexa, in a neutral tone. 

"When? How?" asked the same ambassador. 

“It is for these questions that I invited Raven to join us.” 

Raven walked toward Gaia so all ambassadors could see her. 

"Hello, everyone... To answer your questions, when is six months away. Or rather, when the leaves fall from the trees, if you prefer.” 

She saw Luna hold back a slight laugh and lost her concentration for a few seconds. 

“Then, um... How! As Jovaheda said,” she continued, looking at Clarke who rolled her eyes, “red patches and vomiting are the first signs of radiation. My friend back in Arkadia and I did some research and one of the next big signs will be the black rain. Radioactive rain. It will burn on contact with the skin and cannot be consumed. It will probably destroy the majority of crops too.” 

“When will it fall?” 

"We don't know," replied Raven. “It'll surprise us one day and do some damage. But we will continue to search for an estimated time to be as ready as possible.” 

"To reduce losses," added Clarke. 

"Why?" said the desert ambassador. “Why prevent and protect us if we are all going to die in the end? So that there could be more of us to die together?” 

Clarke bit her lip while looking at Lexa. 

"I know that the time of losses is always difficult," said Lexa, regaining everyone's attention. “Questions are still unanswered and the Skaikru are doing their best to help us answer them. I also believe, like you, that panicking won't change anything. If no solution is possible, living day to day _is_ the best solution. But there may be hope.” 

Everyone frowned, except Marcus and Clarke who looked at each other, apprehensive about the reaction of others. 

“Marcus and Chancellor Griffin informed me earlier that Arkadia could shelter and protect people of Praimfaya.” 

Lexa turned her head to Clarke to find the courage to announce the rest of the news. 

“Unfortunately, a number of people will have the chance to be there.” 

“Skaikru!” exclaimed the Podakru ambassador. “They will be the privileged ones!” 

Clarke bit her lip, already seeing that other ambassadors would approve. 

"All this hatred will not help you to have a place when the time comes," suddenly said Luna, silencing everyone. “You hated them as soon as they arrived and wished them death.” 

"None of this matters," added Marcus. “This time is behind us. We're part of the Coalition now. A new generation of people is growing. We believe that everyone should be treated equally, between clans.” 

"Thank you, Marcus," said Lexa. “Maintaining Arkadia during Praimfaya will require some people. Engineers, mechanics or doctors will have insured places. Then...” 

Lexa paused, reflecting on the impact her words would then have. She had not told anyone about her decision, but she had to be firm. She was the commander and wanted the best for her people. She had always wanted it. She wanted it to continue to exist. 

“Then, the remaining places will be filled by each clan equally. 

The ambassadors looked at each other, nodding to approve of Lexa's words. Luna looked at her, happy with her friend's decision. A fair choice for everyone. Marcus frowned and looked at Abby who was doing her best not to showed deception. 

Lexa finally dared to look at Clarke only to find her staring back at her. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clexa arguments about Lexa's decision... Big SeaMechanic moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so happy with this chapter and how it turned out once translated. I love this one and I hope you'll love it too :)

“Why didn't you consult me before?” exclaimed Clarke, as the doors were closed behind Lexa. 

By the end of the council, Clarke had asked to speak alone with Lexa, in the commander’s private room, where she knew that no one, other than Gaia, would come to disturb them. 

Lexa kept her head high with her hands behind her back, also standing firm. She meant what she had said. 

"I can't exclude the other clans, Clarke. I thought long and hard before the council started and it was too late to tell you about it. I meant my decision. It's fair for everyone. You can choose who will have their place in Arkadia like your mother or Raven, but the remaining places will be shared equally.” 

Clarke stared at her, still visibly hurt and angry. 

“We both know that you care as much about your people as mine-” 

_“Our_ people, Lexa,” corrected Clarke, frowning. “You promised me, long before our marriage, that you would treat my people as yours and I made the same promise. So don't just say I only want the good of my people too!” 

Lexa looked at the floor for a second. She remembered very well that evening and the vow she made. Her jaw tightened while she debated what to say next. She knew Clarke was emotional right now and she didn’t want to hurt her even more. She cared too much for it. 

"I'm sorry, Clarke. That is not what I meant. But it's obvious that you still think Skaikru is superior.” 

Clarke sighed. 

“That's not true, Lexa. At least, not on all perspectives. Without you or the other clans, we would never have survived the winter. Our hunting, combat and lifestyle skills we learned from you helped us. It made us free and happy... You gave them to us. But... As soon as it gets to progress, I'm sorry to say that, but the clans don't follow. At least, they don’t want to.” 

Lexa frowned. 

“Do you think a Grounder could learn how to use a computer? Or a modern kitchen? I don’t even know if they will be willing to obey Skaikru laws. Each clan has its law and ways and even though you’re still going to be there, I have the feeling there’s going to be tension between the clans.” 

Lexa tightened her jaw. Clarke had marked a point. 

“If someone is given the chance and the time to learn, then yes,” replied Lexa, answering only the first question. 

“Lexa, be realistic. Using the common showers in Polis was a big change for the population. It was an incredible step forward and a lot of work for everyone, but people weren't interested in using them. You had to talk, do it yourself so they would understand that their lives would be easier. And this is one example among many.” 

There was silence between them. The two women looked at each other, each of them not ready to change their minds. 

"It is obvious that talking will not solve anything," said Lexa. “I understand your point of view, but I will not go back on my words. I'm still the commander and I have to do what's best and fair for everyone. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier but you have to stand by me.” 

Clarke looked at her, without a word, and Lexa turned to the exit. 

"I'm going to go with the Nightbloods," she said before opening the doors. “I'll be home for dinner.” 

Clarke let her go without a word and without moving, but as soon as the doors closed, she sighed, closing her eyes. She almost wishes Lexa wouldn't come back until she was asleep to avoid talking. It was obvious that both needed air and time for themselves, alone.

* * *

"Are we almost there?" asked Raven for the third time now. 

Luna rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. She was walking a bit ahead of Raven and she turned her head to look at her. 

"You're worse than a child, you know that?" 

"You’re not the first one to tell me. That doesn’t mean I agree with that.” 

Her smile grew slightly and she began to walk again but at side by side with Raven. The council about Praimfaya had taken place a few hours earlier and Luna had asked Raven if she wanted to change her mind and talk about something other than the end of the world. Raven had immediately agreed and she was now walking in a forest with nothing but Luna's company. 

"Will you answer my question?" said Raven, hitting Luna’s arm with her elbow. 

"We're almost there. You should even hear the waves by now.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

“If you live a little more in the present moment, you would have heard it.” 

Raven frowned slightly as she looked ahead of her. She thought that she was going to live one day at a time, but if she was honest with herself, she found it difficult to do so. She was constantly thinking about Praimfaya, her job back at Arkadia, her love life... what she had missed. 

“You... You're right,” said Raven. 

Luna looked at her with a soft smile. She always had Lexa's words in mind. _Make her talk._ It was a duty that interested her very much. They walked in silence, for another minute, before finally arriving on a small beach. It had clearly been larger before the apocalypse, but the trees, bushes and everything else had come closer to the sea at a few places. The rubble also closed the beach in some places, but Luna knew where the most beautiful and clean places were and that's where she had taken Raven. 

Luna stopped to breathe the fresh sea air that was also sweeping her hair. Raven also stopped beside her and looked at the ocean in front of her with a slightly bad eye. 

"Why are we in front of the ocean?" asked Raven. 

"Because it's beautiful," replied Luna before taking a few steps on the sand. 

She always loved the beach and that was the thing she always missed the most about her clan. They were living on boats, far on the sea. After taking another look at the beautiful scene in front of her, she turned around to look at Raven again. 

"Don't you think it's beautiful? The waves, the noise, the softness.” 

Raven shrugged and Luna held out her hand. 

"Come.” 

Raven looked at her for a few seconds before gently taking her outstretched hand and letting herself be dragged on the sand. 

"I had never seen the ocean before," she confessed. 

Luna raised an eyebrow. 

"Seriously? After all these years here?” 

Raven nodded. 

"You know how hard I work and how much I’m needed. I never could...” 

Raven sighed slightly, frowning. She realized how she didn't take advantage of the little things like Luna or the others did so well. 

“If I’m being honest, it’s not that I couldn’t... I just never let myself be that happy.” 

"Never too late than ever," smiled Luna as she continued to drag Raven to the sea. 

The brunette stopped walking and removed her hand from Luna's. 

"I'm going to stay here," she said. “Anyway, I can’t go into the water with my clothes.” 

"Are you wearing underwear?” asked Luna, raising an eyebrow. 

"You're planning to go into the water in your underwear?" asked Raven. 

"Do you prefer if I go naked?” retorted Luna, trying her best to keep her smile from growing. 

Raven let out a laugh, the joke lightening her mood. Still, her mind wandered to Luna’s word and she imagined, for a second, the woman in front of her naked. 

"You wouldn't even believe my abs," replied Luna, pointing to her abs underneath her shirt. 

Luna raised an eyebrow, waiting to see the Latina’s reaction but Raven dropped on the sand to sit. She put her hands in the sand and closed her eyes for a few seconds, hoping Luna would not notice. The Grounder watched with a slight smile before taking off her boots and tucking her feet into the sand. 

"Take off your boots," said Luna. “Feel the sand between your toes.” 

Raven looked at Luna, who was still standing in front of her, before untying her boots and taking off her socks. Luna stayed in front of her during the whole process. 

"Sorry for the smell," deadpanned Raven. “But you made us walk for a long time.” 

Luna smiled before sitting next to Raven, her legs stretched out in front of her and leaning on her outstretched arms behind her. She dropped her head backwards, closing her eyes to enjoy the sun. Raven turned her head towards her and she froze looking at Luna's profile. 

She was beautiful. 

Raven would lie to herself if she thought otherwise. She had always found Luna beautiful. Even before Luna, she thought other girls were beautiful. But to see her like that, serene and in her element, and with her neck clear and so exposed... 

_What's happening to me?_

Luna suddenly opened her eyes and turned her head towards her. Their faces were not so close to each other, but their gaze was hanging on to each other. 

“It's not polite to stare at people, Raven.” 

Raven regained self-confidence. 

"I was wondering when you were finally going to come back to Earth.” 

Luna frowned. 

"Get out of your bubble," said Raven, smiling. 

She always found it cute when Luna wouldn’t understand her. Luna also smiled as she nodded, but noticed the brunette's habit of hiding what she really thought. 

"I understand.” 

There was a moment of silence. They both returned their gaze back at the sea. 

"Can you walk without your leg brace?" asked Luna. 

Raven was slightly surprised by Luna's direct question, but she liked it. 

"No. I can feel my foot, but the rest of my leg is paralyzed... I no longer have any pain, thanks to Abby, but without my brace, I even have trouble standing.” 

Luna nodded, happy with Raven's answer. She thought it would have been more difficult to have an answer or that Raven wouldn’t be so open. 

"You take it off to sleep and take your bath, I suppose?” 

“To sleep only. There are only showers in Arkadia... And as I said, I can't stand without it.” 

Raven suddenly had a funny expression and Luna frowned. 

"What?" she asked. 

“I just realized that I've never taken a bath in my life.” 

Luna could not rebuke her laughter. 

“Seriously?” 

"No!" said Raven. “There was no bath in the Ark in space, either.” 

Luna got up quickly and Raven frowned. 

"What?" she asked. 

Luna didn’t answer her question but pulled on the bottom of her shirt to lift it up and take it off. Raven widened her eyes slightly as she opened her mouth, her gaze not leaving the woman's body in front of her. Luna threw her shirt on the ground before untying her jeans and sliding it along her legs. Raven let her gaze slide along her body and on her legs in front of her. Her mouth closed to swallow and took a deep breath. She thought Luna was beautiful. 

“Damn... You were right. You have abs,” said Raven after finally regaining some sense into her. 

Luna smiled and winked at her. 

"It's your turn," said Luna. “Take off your clothes. We're going in the water.” 

“Uh... It’s not a good idea.” 

Luna leaned forward and grabbed her arm to pull her up. Raven let herself be controlled and she was standing in seconds, near the brunette. Being so close to an almost naked woman, a woman she clearly had feelings for, Raven only wanted one thing: to look at Luna’s breast hiding behind an old lace bra. She managed to resist and her brain could only do one thing: laugh. 

"What?" asked Luna, tilting her head. 

"I...” 

Raven sighed. Her pride took a hit, but slowly, she felt that feeling fade. 

“I've never done that before.” 

“Swimming?" 

Raven almost rectified her to tell her she meant being so close to another woman but she just nodded. Luna’s was right after all. She never swam before. 

"It doesn't matter, Raven. There's a first time for everything.” 

Raven stared at her and quietly felt her resistance fall. 

"I'll wait for you in the water," smiled the brunette before turning around and leaving her. 

Raven watched her running into the water and Luna dived in. Raven waited a few seconds but Luna never reappeared. She started to panic before she saw her reappear, the water slipping from her body. Luna waved at her and Raven finally find her courage. She finally took off her tank top and threw it next to Luna’s clothes before looking towards her legs and all her confidence felt suddenly. 

"Fuck.” 

She felt anger looking at her leg brace. The sand was soft under her feet and even with her brace, she felt a little unstable standing, alone, with nothing to lean on. She swore again before looking up at Luna, who was visibly waiting for her. She looked down again towards her leg before dropping on the sand and taking her head in her hands. Her frustration was at its height and her eyes were getting wet. 

She had not cried against her situation for years. 

Wet hands suddenly surrounded her wrists and Raven startled. She felt water fall on her legs and Luna pulled her hands towards her. She slid her hands from Raven's wrists to her hands. 

“Raven... Look at me.” 

Raven stared at the sand for a few more seconds before raising her head. Luna was in front of her, on her knees, between Raven's legs that were bent towards her. Her eyes were worried. 

"Talk to me.” 

Raven would normally have told anyone else to float themselves for looking at her like that. Although the feeling was inside of her, she couldn’t tell her that. She still wanted to be alone and she opened her mouth to ask Luna to leave, but she felt Luna's thumbs stroking her hands and she lost it. 

"It's your leg, isn't it?" 

Raven’s jaw tightened and she nodded her head weakly. Luna glanced at her and Raven felt exposed, half-naked. She would normally have been proud that someone, a guy she liked, saw her like that, but with Luna, everything was different, and it annoyed her. But Luna did not let her gaze drag on her for too long and she deflected it towards the sand before finally sighing and looking at her in the eyes, still holding her hands. 

"I shouldn't have left you alone," she said at last. “You... You weren't able to come into the water alone, right?” 

"It's just... The sand. It's too soft.” 

Luna nodded. 

"Stand up," said Luna, pulling Raven again with her. 

Raven let herself be pulled up without resistance and Luna gave her a reassuring smile. 

“In the water, you don't need your legs.” 

Raven frowned. 

"I thought it was because of them that we didn't drown," said Raven. 

Luna nodded negatively as she knelt in front of Raven. The Latina cleared her throat at the sudden position as another image appeared in her mind. Luna quickly looked up, smiling, before looking at her leg brace. 

"Can you help me take it off?" she asked. 

Raven told her what to remove and detach in order to do so and she quietly began to be out of balance. 

"Hold on to my shoulders.” 

Raven leaned forward to grab Luna’s shoulder who finally removed the brace completely and placed it gently near her. Raven trembled a little and Luna held her hips. 

"Are you okay?” 

Raven nodded while breathing in. Their position gave her new images again and she tried to think of something other than Luna holding her hips, her face at the height of her crotch but looking into her eyes and her breast leaning towards her. Luna slipped Raven's jeans down her legs and it was her turn to bite her lip, while she was face to face with the brunette's underwear. She helped Raven lift her left leg to remove the jeans and Raven was finally ready. The Grounder got up and put Raven's arm behind her neck, while her arm surrounded her waist. 

“Ready?” 

"I was born ready," joked Raven. 

Luna smiled before slowly walking towards the sea, Raven walking with her right leg. The brunette was focused on Luna's warm hand against her left side, on her ribs, and she jumped by feeling the cold water on her feet. 

"Damn! It's frozen!” 

Luna raised an eyebrow. 

“Who would have thought that Raven Reyes would be capricious.” 

Raven frowned and looked at her with serious eyes. 

“Luna, the water is probably below 75 degrees.” 

"I don’t think so,” argued Luna. “The sun is hot today and if you would bring your ass in the water, at last, you'll find it's not that cold.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow at Luna’s words, but she let herself be pulled gently further into the water until it was just below her hips and after taking a few more steps, she started to float a little. A smile appeared on her face and Luna gently let go of her hand. 

"What now?” asked Raven, still clearly not comfortable. 

Luna didn’t answer. Instead, she went underwater again for a few seconds and the few hairs that had started to get curly again while undressing Raven before were now straight against her head. 

"I never go back on what I said usually, but the water is nice,” said Raven when she got Luna’s attention back. 

Luna had a proud smile while pulling her hair backward and she grabbed Raven's wrist to pull her even further into the ocean. 

"I must have a good influence on you," said Luna. 

Raven’s eyebrow raised a little and she tried to think of a reply but came with none. Luna was still pulling her further and she felt unsure. 

"Luna, if we go too far, I won't be able to swim," said Raven. 

"You don't need your legs, Raven," replied Luna. “Trust me.” 

Raven didn’t need to argue. She didn’t want to. She trusted her. 

"Get down on your back," instructed Luna. 

Raven frowned. 

“You want me to lie on my back?” she repeated. 

Luna rolled her eyes with a smile. 

“We always have to show everything to you, Skaikru.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow and was about to retaliate when she felt one hand just above her butt and another one on her shoulder. 

"Lay back.” 

Raven stared at her for a few more seconds before she let her body lay back. Luna's hand moved towards her neck and the hand on her lower back pushed her upwards, raising her pelvis to the surface. 

"Relax. Close your eyes, breathe and stretch your arms.” 

Raven's face was face to face with Luna's breast that was coming out of the water slightly and Raven quickly turned her head away before closing her eyes. She didn’t see the mocking smile of Luna, who took the opportunity to look at her, for a few seconds, without being guilty. Luna slowly moved her hand on Raven's back to help stabilize her before bringing it to her legs. 

_“Teik go._ Feel the sea, the waves against your skin. Get carried away with her.” (Let yourself go.) 

Raven felt and listened to every word Luna was saying. She was living this moment, feeling nothing but her body in the water, floating, resting. 

Luna slowly removed her hands and recoiled a little, letting Raven float on her own, her leg no longer a burden. 

Raven imagined herself in space. She had rejected this dream for several years, but floating on the water gave her that strange feeling of being in zero gravity and a smile took place on her face. Luna, after taking a last look at Raven, laid back too but held out her hand and grabbed Raven's hand to intertwine their fingers. 

Ironically for Raven, they were floating together. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following part of SeaMechanic's activity, Lexa and Octavia share a moment, Clarke and Lincoln talk and the Clexa reunion.

"Can we come back tomorrow?" suddenly asked Raven, as she was lying on the sand with Luna near her. 

They were laying side by side to dry under the burning sun. They had been in the water for almost half an hour and since Raven had grown tired faster than Luna since her body wasn’t used to be in the water, she’d ask to call it a day and rest. Luna had complied without arguing. She knew Raven must have felt tired after all the swimming. Of course, Raven didn’t really swim because of her leg. After they had laid on their back, Raven had started to splash the other woman who quickly responded. The Latina thought she was being childish at one point but she had found it too funny to stop. After their little water battle, Luna had helped her new friend swimming to go further in the water. She had explained to her how to stop breathing and to open her eyes in the water so she could see what was underneath them. Although Raven was scared at first, she was too proud to chicken out and she had followed Luna underwater. 

All of their water activity had burned her out. 

"Or later in the week,” she continued. 

Luna smiled. She was happy that she could help Raven relax and enjoy her day for once. She found out she always had a great time with the Latina. Raven always had a reply for something, she was witty, smart, had a sassy side and Luna loved it. She had always thought Raven was beautiful and she knew she was physically attracted to her but the more time she spent with her, the more she found herself thinking Raven was interesting and beautiful on the inside. 

"We can come back anytime you want, Raven. You're on vacation.” 

Raven had a slight laugh and her hands went to rest on her belly. 

“A thing I haven't had in years.” 

Luna had a small pout before turning her head to look at Raven. Strangely, even though Raven was still looking at the sky above her, knew how Luna was looking at her. She would say she was used to that kind of look. 

"Don't look at me like that," said Raven. “I've made choices and I stand by them.” 

She paused for a few seconds before finally turning her head toward the brunette. 

“I don't think they were the best if I think about it, but I can't change them.” 

"You can only move on," added Luna. 

Raven smiled at her and the two stared at each other for long seconds. 

"You're very beautiful, Raven.” 

Raven felt her heart miss a beat and an uncomfortable feeling took place in her body. She was getting that kind of compliment from some guys who she was sleeping with but the tone and the moment in which Luna had said it made her strange. Raven got up to sit and Luna sighed. 

"Don't do that," said Luna while following Raven in her movements. 

Raven frowned at her. 

“Do what?” 

"That," answered Luna, who had become serious. “Stop running. Stop getting your guard up as soon as you can.” 

Raven tried to look away again but Luna gently grabbed her arm. 

"Look at me.” 

Raven sighed and continued to stare at the sea before finally looking at Luna again. She was afraid of what she was going to find in Luna’s eyes. 

"Why?” she harshly asked. 

"You're beautiful, Raven. I think you're beautiful. Don't believe otherwise.” answered Luna still in a calm voice. 

Raven was going to reply "I know I am," but she bit her lip and accepted the compliment. 

“Thank you.” 

Luna smiled and Raven had the courage to reply. 

"I think you're very beautiful too.” 

The Grounder's smile grew as she let her hand slide down Raven's arm to her hand. 

"And...," continued Raven, hesitating slightly, “Thank you for today. For everything, actually.” 

Luna tightened her grip. 

"I'm happy. And If I'm being honest, you allow me to escape too. It's a win-win.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"What do you mean?" 

Luna turned her gaze to the ocean, hesitating to confide, and this time, it was Raven who tightened her grip on Luna’s hand. Luna continued to look at the sea in front of her but she smiled and the sight made Raven smiled too. 

“I know I don't often talk about my clan...” 

Raven nodded. 

"But I think about it every day. I lost so many people I was close to... I'm used to losing people, but...” 

"I know what you mean," continued Raven, feeling the silence. “About losing people.” 

Luna looked at her with a slight compassionate smile. 

"I often tell myself that I don't deserve this blood. No more than any other.” 

“But today it saves lives.” 

"Only a few,” replied Luna. 

Raven sighed. 

"Still..." said Luna. "What I mean is that you allow me to get away from it all. I don't think of anything else when I'm with you. I’m grateful for that.” 

Raven didn't even know what to say. Luna's gaze was tender, she had a warm smile and those words still resonated in her head. 

"I’m grateful too.”

* * *

Lexa was walking behind the Nightbloods, letting Gaia lead the way in front of everyone. She was still ruminating about her conversation with Clarke and she was also angry with herself to let her personal life affect her life as a Commander. She preferred to be on top of it all, but Clarke was always in her head. 

She was lost in her thoughts and didn’t hear Octavia coming near her. 

"What are you thinking?” 

Lexa jumped with surprise and she quickly turned her head towards the brunette. Octavia looked at her, frowning. 

"After seeing our expression, I know the answer.” 

Lexa turned her head away with a sigh. 

"You know what happened during the council?" asked the Commander. 

"Indra told me about it, yes.” 

_I should have known._

"If you ask me, I think you made the best decision," continued Octavia. 

Lexa looked at her, eyebrow raised. 

"Skaikru doesn’t deserve a special treatment," added Octavia with a slight animosity. 

Even though there has been water under the bridge, Octavia had always stayed with Trikru. They had been the first to make her feel like someone with value and where she had felt herself. 

"I agree," said Lexa. “I love Clarke and I really appreciate her friends, _our_ friend, but certain morals must come before survival. Both can be together.” 

Octavia nodded. 

“But I guess Clarke didn't appreciate it if you're so devastated.” 

"I'm not devastated," said Lexa, slightly insulted. 

Octavia had a smile. 

“Sorry Lexa, but you are literally the commander of heart eyes when you are with her.” 

Lexa rolled her eyes. She was taking Octavia's comments to the last degree for years now. It wasn't the first time the brunette had called her that and Lexa appreciated her friendship with her. She would never have tolerated being called herself like that before, but now that she had a life outside of Heda, she had developed her sense of humour. 

"We had a fight, yes," said Lexa. “She was, and surely still is, angry that I didn’t tell her about my decision earlier. And she also questioned my attachment to Skaikru.” 

"She's just angry. She can quickly get on her high horses.” 

"I know," agreed Lexa. “I hope she will calm down and find reasons before tonight.” 

"Me too. No one wants to face your bad temper tomorrow, because you haven't slept with your pretty Clarke.” 

Lexa hit her arm and a few Nightbloods turned to Octavia's laughter. 

_“Disha slap_ _ste_ _a good example_ _gon_ _how much your_ _Heda_ _ste_ _ruthless,”_ said Octavia. _(This is a good example of how ruthless your commander is)_

_"Shof op,"_ replied Lexa. _(Shut up.)_

Octavia raised an eyebrow and decided to push Lexa who stumbled on her feet before looking at Octavia with serious eyes. The Nightbloods stopped walking to gather together and to watch what their Heda would do. Gaia frowned and approached the two women. 

"You don't know what you got yourself into, warrior," said Lexa. 

Octavia shrugged before pulling her sword out of its holster. The younger Nightbloods cheered and the older ones smiled. Lexa imitated Octavia's gesture and both were now facing each other, sword in hand. 

“Nightbloods, learn from this fight.” 

Octavia raised an eyebrow before launching the first attack. Lexa countered the attack and she stepped to the side. Octavia turned on herself quickly and blocked Lexa's blow towards her legs with her sword. The two friends had been training together for several years and knew each other’s techniques. The two swords clashed quickly. Lexa slowly pushed Octavia back towards a rock with several relentless strikes and when the brunette was where she wanted, Lexa made a big move forward. Octavia stepped back quickly but her legs met the rock and she felt backwards. She rolled to get up quickly, but Lexa was already running towards the rock to jump on it to give herself a swing to jump towards her friend. 

Octavia lifted her legs and kicked Lexa on the thigh, causing her to miss her fall on her and instead to fell to her side. Lexa tightened her jaw under the pain. The two brunettes looked at each other for a split second, lying on the ground, before quickly getting up. Octavia bent down to take her sword, but Lexa grabbed her by the shoulders and struck her with her knee in the stomach. Octavia lost her breath and it was Lexa who took the sword. She had frankly hurt her leg because of Octavia's kick, but she pushed the pain out of her mind, concentrating on holding her two swords in each hand. 

Octavia took deep breaths, while she was looking for what to do next. She knew she was in a bad position and suddenly, she began to run in the opposite direction. Lexa swore under her breath before chasing after the brunette. The Nightbloods and Gaia followed them too, excited to see where it would lead. 

Lexa saw Octavia disappear down a slope. She could hear the branches cracking and the leaves bending under her friend’s feet. She accelerated her race to reach the top of the slope, but saw no one. She knew she had to be careful and she began to walk down the slope slowly, her gaze looking for any sign of life behind trees. She began to be suspicious and when she heard footsteps, it was too late. Lexa was pushed and she fell down the rest of the slope, dirt and leaves falling with her and Lexa coughed slowly, once at the end. Octavia had been hiding in a tree and had seized the perfect moment to get back on the ground silently. 

"I don't know if it's a power I have, but I easily find where to hide. Floor or not," said Octavia, picking up her sword, which Lexa had dropped in her fall. 

The Nightbloods were all looking at them with big eyes, now wondering what was going to happen. 

Lexa leaned forward to pick up her sword and anticipated the brunette's next movement. Octavia, seeing Lexa leaning forward, directed her sword towards her, but Lexa deliberately felt to the ground and made a quick roll while taking her sword. Octavia's sword hit the ground and even before she moved, she felt Lexa's blade on her neck. She sighed and let her sword fall on the ground before raising her hands. Lexa went around her friend and pushed the sword with her foot before facing the brunette. She raised an eyebrow. 

“Lesson learned.” 

Lexa smiled and she finally put her sword behind her back. The Nightbloods cheered their Heda and Octavia turned to Lexa. 

"I hope you were able to vent your frustration during this fight.” 

Lexa nodded slightly. 

"It felt good, yes. I should be less tense when I get home.” 

Octavia smiled. 

"If she makes you sleep room apart, just come to my house. I know two young girls who would happily sleep with you.” 

Lexa rolled her eyes thinking of the twins and they both shake their hands before joining the others.

* * *

Clarke was at Lincoln's house. She had come to make sure that her friend was still recovering and healthy. Lincoln was aware of what had happened at the council like almost everyone at Polis now, but he didn’t speak while watching Clarke work. He knew her friend and it was clear to him that she was angry and sad. 

Irene and Aurora were cutting vegetables in the kitchen to prepare themselves and their aunt a snack and Lincoln bit the inside of his cheeks before finally speaking. 

"You’re still angry with Lexa’s decision.” 

Clarke stopped what she was doing to look at him. 

"Why are you saying that?" 

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. 

“The tone of your voice just answered me.” 

Clarke sighed and put away her medical tools. 

“I learned about Lexa's decision and I know that you are not a fan of it.” continued Lincoln. 

Clarke closed her medical kit with a sudden gesture and Lincoln closed his hand around her wrist. Clarke looked at him again. 

"You know as well as I do that it's only right. And Lexa-” 

“She thought of her people before me.” 

"To _our_ people," corrected Lincoln. “And yes, she did. She did the right thing.” 

Clarke looked away for a few seconds, biting the inside of her lip. She knew she was exaggerating but to her, it was clear that survival would be easier if Skaikru were the dominating number of people inside the Ark after Praimfaya. 

"I'm just scared, Lincoln," she confessed. “Arkadia will need many important people and... To say goodbye to other people who have worked all their lives in Arkadia is just... Unfair.” 

"I understand. And I'm sure Lexa would understand, too, if you told her that. She wouldn't change her decision, but you should talk to each other more instead of avoiding yourself.” 

"No marriage is perfect," replied Clarke. 

Lincoln had a laugh. 

"That's right...” 

Clarke offered him a slight smile as they heard the front door opened. 

"Mom?" asks Irene from the kitchen. 

"It's me," replied Octavia. “With Lexa.” 

Lincoln held back a slight laugh. 

“Speaking of the devil.” 

Clarke hit him on the arm. 

"Do you want something to drink, Lexa?" asked Octavia. 

"Water," replied Lexa, before entering the living room where Clarke and Lincoln were. 

The brunette stopped in her footsteps and opened her mouth but nothing came out. Clarke finally decided to woman up and she faced her but any words she had in mind disappeared when she saw Lexa. She was used to seeing Lexa with leaves in her hair, her clothes or her face a little dirty, but she frowned when she saw the cuts on her head. 

"What happened to you?" she asked, approaching to pass her thumb over the blood mixed with the dirt. 

“A fight with Octavia. We had a great time. We didn’t hold back.” 

Clarke rolled her eyes and Lincoln laughed. Lexa raised her eyebrows, smiling slightly. 

"What? You know I like to train.” 

“Train or fight?” 

“Fight!” exclaimed Octavia who was still in the kitchen with her daughters. 

Lexa smiled at her friend’s reply and Octavia entered the living room with a glass of water in her hands. 

“I see that our favourite couple is together again and without breaking in a fight too.” 

Clarke dropped her hand from Lexa’s forehand. She had somehow forgotten her frustration but then thought of what Lincoln had told her. She sighed and Lexa took her hand. 

"Are we okay?” 

Clarke let her gaze drag on the floor before looking at her friend from the corner of her eye. Octavia looked at them before rolling her eyes and pulling Lincoln by the arm. 

"We're going to leave you alone.” 

"Thank you,” murmured Clarke. 

Lexa smiled and she released a sigh when they were left alone. 

"I'm sorry I got carried away earlier,” said Clarke. “It's nothing new that you think with your head and not your heart as a commander. I know that. I've long accepted this fact.” 

Lexa nodded. 

"I understand your point of view, but I didn't want to accept it back then.” 

"You do, now?” asked Lexa, raising an eyebrow. 

Clarke bit her lip. 

"Let's say that Lincoln helped me see through my anger and my fear,” she added. 

Lexa nodded. She was relieved Lincoln had talked some sense into Clarke. 

"I'm sorry, too," said Lexa, in a small voice. “I never wanted to hurt you or put you in a difficult position. I'm the one who made that decision and I have to live with it. I have to justify it to Skaikru.” 

“I'm going to live with it too, Lexa. You can't set me apart so easily. I'm your wife. I support you as Jovaheda." 

Lexa finally had a genuine smile and she gently put her hand on Clarke’s cheek. Her thumbs gently stroked her skin and Clarke closed her eyes for a few seconds with a slight smile. She loved Lexa's touch. She opened her eyes and locked them with Lexa’s. Blue met green and Clarke reminded herself of all the reasons why she loved Lexa so much. 

“I’ll always stand by you, Lexa. I appreciate the fact that you want to protect me. That you want to take all the blame that Skaikru is going to send on you. But that won't happen. I will be with you from the beginning to the end of this stupid end of the world. And seeing me by your side will surely help them digest the news.” 

Lexa’s smile grew. Her eyes were filled with love for Clarke and she bent down to kiss her on the lips. 

"Thank you," she murmured. 

“Praimfaya may try to scare us all and separate us, but we're stronger than that. We're going to rise.” 


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cute Lexa/Raven bro moment.
> 
> BIG SeaMechanic moment turning all cute, fans of them, you'll be happy.
> 
> Clarke struggles at the clinic and makes a shocking discovery and she shares a moment with Lexa about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big chapter for you today! I hope you like it :) After this one, it becomes really serious and focuses on nightblood, just to say...
> 
> I want to say that I wrote all the next chapters at the end of October so they are recent chapters with recent grammar and all and overall, I think the storytelling is better. It is in french and I hope it will translate in English :)

Three days had passed since the council. Polis’s citizens had returned to their usual work at the market and the clans didn’t disturb Lexa any more than usual. People all knew they had six months ahead of them to live and some of them were taking advantage of it. Most of the population were keeping their routine, trying to forget the inevitable end of the world for them. The ambassadors knew they would likely be chosen to live in Arkadia with their family and close representative so Lexa had asked them to manage their people inside their clans and village. She had other things to manage than people fighting for a chance at survival. 

Abby and Marcus had returned to Arkadia to help Monty and Sinclair who were repairing the Ark already so it would be completely safe and radiation-proof before Praimfaya. The Chancellor and the Ambassador had radioed Lexa, upon their arrival in Arkadia, to ask her to prepare a quick visit with each ambassador to Arkadia for the Ark's visit. Arkadia wasn’t the most visited clan by the Grounders, despite the good relationship they now had with each other. They wanted to explain and discuss certain details such as rules, routine, work and maintenance of the environment. Lexa had already taken care of everything. 

Lexa found herself strangely alone during this afternoon. The Nightbloods had a day off, she had no meeting planned, Callum had gone to see his cousins, Irene and Aurora, and Clarke had to take care of a pregnant woman who was into labour. She had therefore returned home to spend a quiet afternoon. 

She had changed into more comfortable clothes to meditate. Lexa was sitting on the living room’s floor and she closed her eyes. She was almost in her safe place when she heard knocks on the door just before she heard Raven’s voice. 

“Lexi!” 

She opened her eyes slowly, trying to hide her annoyance. 

She was going to kill Luna. 

She rose from the floor and walked quickly to the door, desperate to stop the noise Raven was making by repeatedly knocking on the door. She opened the door to see her friend smiling from both ears. 

"Clarke isn’t here," she said. 

"I know," replied Raven. “I went to the tower to find you two, but I was told that she was at the clinic and that you were home.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow and Raven put her hand on Lexa’s arm to push her to the side. Lexa almost didn’t let her but she complied and Raven walked inside. 

"I came to ask you something.” 

Lexa didn't know if she was annoyed by her friend's attitude or if she found her amusing. She had a half-smile as she rolled her eyes before turning around and closing the door. 

"First of all, you will tell Luna that she has just betrayed years of friendship.” 

Raven frowned and Lexa crossed her arms, trying to look serious. 

“Ah! The nickname? I think it's great... Lexi...” 

"Not if it’s coming from your mouth," replied Lexa. 

Raven took a false offended look before laughing. Lexa smiled and waited for Raven to continue. 

"I'll give her the message. Now I'd like the keys to the Rover. I'm going to teach Luna how to drive it! 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

"Luna agreed to do that?" she asked, surprised. 

Raven pinched her lips and moved her head from left to right. 

"Not really. I told her I would organize an activity, but I did not specify which one. Detail.” 

"You should ask her anyway," said Lexa. 

"Stop being so stern! And by the way, Luna surprised me with your nickname. It’s not like I asked her to tell me all of your secrets.” 

Lexa was still not convinced, but if she trusted anyone, it was Raven. She had always been reliable, confident and resourceful. She was an adventurer, but not as hot-headed as Octavia and Lexa loved her very much. She respected her for all her work and determination, but also for the person she was. 

Lexa finally picked the keys from a drawer and threw them at her friend. Raven grabbed them, smiling. 

“Thank you! I’ll bring ‘em back tomorrow.” 

"Be careful," said Lexa. 

Raven paused in her steps to raise an eyebrow at her friend. Lexa cleared her throat. 

"Be careful with Luna.” 

"Understood, mom," replied Raven with a wink before going out and closing the door. 

Lexa had a little laugh before returning to the living room to continue her meditation.

* * *

Sweat was pouring down Clarke's temples. Blood was slipping from her hands. The child delivery had taken a wrong turn and she had to perform an emergency cesarean. She had help. Two other women were constantly checking the general condition of Lola, the woman giving birth, and Lincoln, who was practicing the surgery with her. It wasn’t the first cesarean of her medical career, but Clarke never liked to be in that position. Even less when it wasn’t planned. 

Lola was screaming in pain. Since she had started her delivery naturally, she didn’t have painkillers or anesthesia but after some inconclusive contractions and push, Clarke had realized the baby was in distress. She had felt the umbilical cord around the baby’s neck. Lola was exhausted and Clarke quickly had to change her method and have a C-section. Nothing had really been prepared for the procedure and Lola had to start the operation with all the pain. Lincoln had rapidly prepared some kind of quick anesthesia, but it was now beginning to really affect her, as Clarke was beginning to remove the umbilical cord from the baby's neck. Each movement was delicate and precise. Clarke's hands were playing in the native's womb and with a very small baby, from what she could see. She also wanted to avoid too much bleeding. 

"You have to get the baby out, Clarke. We can't go on like this for too long,” told her Lincoln. 

She nodded. 

“I'm doing my best.” 

She continued for a few more seconds, gently moving the baby to get them in a safe position before bringing them out of the womb. The newborn finally appeared under the light and Clarke held her breath. The baby’s skin was purple by the lack of oxygen, their eyes were closed and she heard no scream. Clarke clenched her jaw and she started clearing the nasal route with Lincoln’s help. The baby's mother, Lola, stared at them silently crying. 

"Come on... breathe,” whispered Clarke. 

She tapped on the baby’s butt and, finally, she heard screams. Clarke jumped slightly and Lincoln grabbed a blanket. The baby finally began to cry and relief passed through Clarke. Lola smiled when she heard her baby cry. Clarke's gaze went down to look at the baby's sex and she smiled. 

"It's a gir-” 

She felt abruptly silent. Her gaze had continued its descent on the baby's body and she had noticed the mutation. The anomaly. 

The baby’s right leg was half the size it was supposed to be. 

Lola frowned as she looked at Clarke. 

"What? Why did you stop?” 

Lincoln took the baby in its arms, in the blanket, and immediately noticed the mutation too. Clarke still couldn’t move and Lincoln gently wrapped the baby who was still crying before taking her in his arms. 

"Clarke," said Lincoln, "cut the umbilical cord.” 

The blonde wiped the sweat from her upper lip to wake up from the shock. She then took the scissors and cut the cord. 

"Mack, take the baby to clean her," he told one of the women. “Clarke and I need to finish the C-section.” 

The nurse nodded, gently taking the little girl before leaving the room. Lola watched her daughter leave, still unaware of her mutation. Clarke had her eyes fixed on Lola. The blonde had seen the birth of a baby with a mutation only once in her life. It was seven years ago. The baby was quickly rejected by the parents and Clarke didn’t recover until after a long week even though the baby boy had been adopted by parents in Arkadia. 

She was fearing Lola's reaction. 

Lincoln handed her the equipment to take care of the rest of the surgery and Clarke quickly went back to work. She and Lincoln were done in less than an hour and Lola had fallen asleep under fatigue and pain. Clarke and Lincoln were washing their hands, while the others were putting away the equipment. 

"How do you feel?" asked Lincoln, wiping his hands. 

Clarke shrugged. 

"Everything could have gone better.” 

Lincoln sighed as he gave her the towel. 

“The C-section went well even though we had not planned anything. There was no bleeding and the baby is healthy.” 

Clarke stared at him. 

"Her leg, Lincoln.” 

He tightened his jaw and Clarke passed by him to get out of the room. Lincoln followed her closely and Clarke saw that the little girl was sleeping in a small crib. 

"We gave her milk, Jovaheda," said a nurse. “She's been asleep for a few minutes.” 

Clarke nodded and stepped closer to her. Her skin was pale and she had little blond hair. Clarke smiled slightly before lifting the blanket off her body. She became more aware of the little girl's mutation. Her right leg had no foot at all and stopped at the knee. She suddenly became more serious. She had just given birth to a baby with a disabling mutation in a world that would be destroyed in five months. 

"Clarke," said Lincoln, startling the blonde who quickly put the blanket back on the baby's body. “Mack told me her measurements. She is 19 inches tall and weighs 6.5 pounds. She’s very small.” 

Clarke nodded. 

“I can take care of the rest. Go home.” 

Clarke looked at him, biting her lip. She felt bad about feeling so touched by the situation. Lincoln grabbed her shoulders to turn her around before pushing her. 

“I'll give you news about the baby and Lola as soon as I know more. Maybe she will accept her daughter without a problem.” 

Clarke sighed, nodding slightly. 

“Thank you, Lincoln.” 

"No problem.”

* * *

"Where are you taking me?" asked Luna. 

She was walking beside Raven toward Polis's main entrance. She knew it meant they were going out of the capital’s borders and she was intrigued. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," replied Raven. 

Luna looked up at the sky. 

“Do you know that I was trained to observe every little detail? I know you have the Rover’s keys in your pocket.” 

Raven stopped in her footsteps and looked at Luna who smiled proudly and Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"Remind me to never surprise you again," said Raven. 

"What surprise are you talking about?" asked Luna. “You told me you were taking me out of Polis for an "adventure,"” she said, making the quotes with her fingers. “You prepared a meal for us,” she added, pointing to the bag Raven had over her shoulder. “I assume you're going to drive us away from here in the Rover.” 

Raven looked at Luna. She couldn’t believe her ears. Luna was waiting for Raven's reply, but the brunette took the keys out of her pocket and threw them at her. Luna easily caught them. 

"You only skipped a little detail. _You_ are going to drive us out of here.” 

Luna opened her mouth to reply, but Raven left her alone as she continued to walk. Luna stayed there for a few seconds before catching up with Raven. 

"Are you serious? You want me to drive this thing!” exclaimed Luna. 

Raven had a little smile on her face. She was proud to have destabilized her. 

"Uh-Uhm," said Raven, looking straight ahead. “This _thing_ is called a Rover. And for a girl who was so interested in my work environment a bit more than a week ago, you don't seem very happy to learn more today.” 

Luna bit her lip, remembering the morning Raven was referring to. The one where she had entered the control room. 

"There's a difference between watching and experimenting," replied Luna. 

"Believe me when I tell you that it is better to experiment," smiled Raven, as they finally walked out of Polis. 

Luna sighed as she looked at the keys in her hand. She had never been comfortable with technology. Nor before, nor after the arrival of Skaikru. She had never really come close to their territory, for she had always feared what they possessed. But now, Raven was asking her to drive a car. 

She couldn’t believe it. 

They finally saw the Rover ahead of them and Raven started to walk faster. At last, they were near the Rover and Raven opened the back doors. She put down her bag and checked that there were some essentials. Luna walked up to her and Raven closed the doors. 

“Everything is perfect. Are you ready?” 

"You won't give me a choice, will you?” 

Raven smiled and nodded. 

"You've got it all figured out. You don’t argue with me.” 

Raven winked at her before heading to the rover's passenger side to settle in. Luna sighed slightly. She didn't like technology, but she liked challenges. Raven had prepared a nice afternoon for them and she was grateful. She would not have thought that this kind of attention would come from her. 

She looked at the keys in her hands one last time before taking a deep breath. She went to the driver's door and entered the vehicle to get behind the wheel. Raven was already sitting and she was looking at Luna with a proud and amused smile. 

“Listen to me and put on your seatbelt. I won't take any chances either," said Raven before having a chuckle. 

Luna raised an eyebrow but looked at Raven before imitating her. She heard the security "click" and she cleared her throat as she looked in front of her. A weird box was to the right of the steering wheel. There were a lot of buttons. Luna frowned and she remembered seeing one of the weird boxes in Arkadia. 

"It's the radio," told Raven who had noticed what Luna was staring at. “It's much more powerful than a simple Talkie Walkie. The range between the transmitter and the receiver is bigger. The quality is better too.” 

Luna nodded slowly, storing all the information in her head. 

"I didn't notice it when you drove us here the first time, but it's very impressive," she admitted. 

"But it doesn't matter," reassured Raven as she put her hand on her arm. “It’s not important to drive.” 

The gesture drew Luna's gaze to her. 

"All of this, these numbers, these buttons," continued Raven, pointing at them with her other hand, "nothing matters. It may look intimidating, but nothing is necessary to make us move.” 

Luna already felt more comfortable. Raven looked at her with a friendly look and her tone of voice was reassuring and not as joking as usual. Luna nodded and put her hand on Raven’s who lowered her gaze on her hand. 

She noticed how hot Luna's skin was against hers. Luna’s thumb moved on her hand and Raven opened her mouth but nothing came out. She looked up to see that Luna was staring at her. Her stare wasn’t intense, but rather tender and questioning. Raven cleared her throat and she slowly removed her hands from Luna’s. Feeling Raven removing her hand, Luna slowly turned her head towards the windshield. She was well aware that something strange had happened between them and she had seen the change in Raven’s eyes. She wasn't going to push it and didn't want to act weird either. 

"What do I do now? I guess putting on my seatbelt won't make us move.” 

Raven had a little laugh. 

“You’re right. Put the key in the hole behind the steering wheel.” 

Luna did what she was asked. However, she remained frozen as she waited for the Rover to start. Raven looked at her and she chuckled. 

“You must then turn the key outwards by pressing the brake slightly.” 

Luna looked at her interrogatively and Raven leaned towards her. 

"Push your foot to the left," gently commanded Raven, placing her hand on Luna's knee, “and pressed slightly.” 

Luna nodded. She would lie to herself if she said she didn't appreciate the feeling of the brunette's hand on her leg, but she pushed the thought away. She turned the key and the Rover's engine rumbled. She felt the vehicle vibrate and she had a smile. 

"Bravo," smiled Raven. “The easiest is done.” 

Luna looked at her with anxious eyes and Raven couldn’t help but laugh. 

"You should have driven us and shown me rather than directly asking me to drive this thing," said Luna. 

“And have less fun looking at you? Never,” she retorted. 

Luna smiled. 

“The brake stops the Rover when it is moving and you need to push it when you want to change the Rover transmission. By transmission, I mean between moving forward, going backward or staying put. Are you following?” 

Luna nodded slightly. 

“So if I understand, we're currently on "park" because we're parked?” 

Raven nodded and she explained to her what the thing between them and what all the letters on the transmission meant. Luna quickly understood. 

"You've got it all figured out, genius.” 

Luna smiled under the nickname. 

“Once the transmission is chosen, you press the accelerator pedal on the right as slowly as possible to get started. The longer and harder you press, the faster you go. But we're going to avoid it for today.” 

"Good idea," conceded Luna. 

"Happy to hear that you approve," smiled Raven. "Finally, you turn the steering wheel in the direction you desire. Right to take right and left to left.” 

Luna nodded, assimilating the information. 

“Good... Are you ready?” 

Luna bit the inside of her cheeks as she looked in front of her. She was going to drive a Rover. She didn't even know that such a thing to travel was possible a few years ago. She swore under her breath before sighing and finally looking at Raven. 

"I'm ready.” 

Raven had a huge smile and she tapped Luna's thigh to cheer her on. 

"Let's do it!” 

The Grounder changed the Rover’s transmission with the stick shift and slowly removed her foot from the brake. The Rover move forward and she turned her head towards Raven with anxious eyes again. 

"It's normal," said Raven. “Gently press the gas pedal and keep both hands on the steering wheel.” 

Luna slowly put her foot on the gas pedal and her heart stopped beating when the Rover moved forward. Her hands firmly grabbed the steering wheel and she moved her body toward the wheel. 

"Everything is fine," calmly said Raven. “Take the road in front of us to begin. We’ll drive on an open field to make you practice a bit.” 

Luna barely nodded, too focused on the road to answer. Raven stopped herself from laughing when she saw the Rover's speed. Barely 20km/h and Luna seemed on the edge of an anxiety attack. 

“You can press a little more with your foot if you want.” 

Luna listened to her. She pressed harder, but she immediately regretted her action. The Rover leapt forward and the engine rumbled more. She felt the vehicle make a slight leap up - following a hole in the ground - and she panicked. She suddenly pressed the brake. Raven's smile disappeared as she felt herself being pushed forward. The seatbelt held her back, but Raven frowned. Luna was gripping the steering wheel and her knuckles were white. She was staring at the windshield and Raven changed the transmission herself so the Rover was now parked. 

"Are you alright?" she asked, delicately placing her hand on Luna's arm. 

She saw her shoulders relax and Luna let her head fall forward. Her forehead met the steering wheel and Raven had a small smile. She let her hand slide towards Luna's back and gently rubbed it. 

"I shouldn't have made you go faster," confessed Raven. “I'm sorry.” 

"No," retorted Luna. “You couldn't have known I'd react like that...” 

Raven sighed slightly and Luna slowly raised her head, sighing too. 

“Driving is not for me... Thank you anyway.” 

Raven nodded. 

"We always have our picnic," she smiled. 

Luna smiled too and they kept staring into the other’s eyes for a second time. 

"You're such a great person," said Luna in a soft voice. 

Raven felt slightly uncomfortable and she preferred to laugh and to turn her head away. She was pulling her hand off Luna's back but rapidly, Luna grabbed it. Luna's hand had closed on her wrist and Raven turned her head back towards her when she felt Luna's other hand on her neck. She was pulled forward and her body reacted on its own, while her head had a thought. 

_Oh._

Her eyes had automatically closed and her lips had simply opened slightly. Luna's mouth met hers and a choked sound went up to her throat. She hadn’t had "physical" contact with anyone in weeks and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t attracted to the brunette. Luna let her left hand go down along Raven's neck to press it against her chest, as she released her grip with her other hand to let it slide down Raven's arm. She restrained her urge to lay the tip of her tongue against Raven's lips, dreading her reaction. She preferred to gently move her lips. After a few more seconds, Luna recoiled slightly and raised her left hand to Raven's neck to keep her against her. 

Raven felt the warm hand of Luna go up to her neck and she licked her lips, keeping her eyes closed. Luna's eyes were a little open and she saw Raven's tongue. Desire ran through her and she hurried to kiss her back, touching the tip of Raven's tongue with her lips. Raven held back a moan under the surprise. She never thought she would be kissing a girl and she regretted it. Luna let go of her fears. She felt how Raven’s body was reacting and it encouraged her and she decided to go for it. She opened her lips and gently passed her tongue over Raven's lips. The latter clung to the other woman’s neck and she slowly opened her mouth. Luna's tongue entered her mouth and Raven responded quickly with her tongue. They slid against each other and Luna wanted to stick her body closer to Raven, but she growled as she felt the seatbelt block her and tuck into her chest. She dropped her right hand to try to detach herself without ever taking her mouth off Raven's. 

She frowned and recoiled, opening her eyes to look at Luna. The Grounder had another growl when Raven had backed away and she finally untied her belt. 

"Nothing is practical here," mumbled Luna. 

Raven gently smiled and Luna stopped herself from plunging back on her. She bit her lip, reality catching up with her. She was slightly turned on to had kiss Raven. Her last long relationship had been with a man, Derrick, until he died with the rest of the clan, but the sweetness of a woman made her feel something she hadn't felt in a while. And she thought Raven was too damn sexy. 

Raven wanted to touch Luna, to be against her. She could see that the Grounder was biting her lip, slight guilt running through her face and she placed her hand on the brunette's thigh. She tightened her grip and Luna wet her lips with her tongue. The two women stared at each other as Raven moved her hand upward Luna’s thigh and Luna was staring at the Latina’s lips. 

"Luna...” 

Luna looked up from her lips, focusing on what Raven was going to say. Raven cleared her throat. 

"I... Uh...” 

Seeing Raven's hesitation, Luna bit her lip. She didn't want her to close in on herself at all and didn't know if she suddenly regretted it. 

"Do you regret this?” 

"No!” hurriedly corrected Raven by squeezing Luna's thigh. 

Luna closed her eyes under the sensation and the news. 

"Good," said Luna, opening her eyes. “I had... I've been wanting to kiss you for a while.” 

"I had noticed," said Raven. “Anyway, it was either that or I thought you Grounders had a funny way of looking at people.” 

Luna held back a laugh and Raven sighed. 

“What is it?” asked Luna. 

"No matter what this is," she said, pointing to them, "there is the end of the world in less than six months." 

"You will have your place in Arkadia, Raven,” reassured Luna who understood what she was trying to say. “They can't survive without you.” 

Raven had a smile. 

“And I'm a Nightblood _._ Nothing can stop me.” 

Luna gently brought her hand to Raven's cheek to caress it. The Latina let her head rest in Luna's palm, smiling softly. 

"I've never got so close to anybody before," confessed Raven. “Never. I'm too used to losing.” 

Luna wanted to hit all the people who had abandoned the beautiful woman in front of her. She wasn't violent, or at least she wasn't anymore, but she would fight anyone who makes Raven unhappy. 

She had lost Derek a few weeks before, but Raven was something else. She was undeniably attracted to her, but she had above all become her friend. They had a strange relationship, but Luna didn't take it into account. She really enjoyed Raven and wanted to be with her, in any way. 

"What are you thinking?" asked Raven. 

Luna let her hand slide from Raven's cheek to her shoulder. 

"I've attached myself to you too. And um... We don't know each other quite well yet, but I'm ready to know you in all the possible ways.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"Is that a declaration of love?" she asked with a joking smile. 

"No," smiled Luna. “It just means that maybe I'd rather just kiss you instead of talking.” 

Raven's heart missed a beat. Luna didn’t make a declaration of love to her, but she confessed to her that she wanted a relationship with her. Raven hadn't been in one in years. 

Since Finn. 

She didn't even remember what it was like to be in a relationship, but slowly, thanks to Luna, she wanted to rediscover it. 

"I'd like that too," she finally confessed.

* * *

"I’m home," said Clarke, closing the front door behind her. 

"I'm in the living room," replied Lexa. 

Clarke smiled when she heard her wife's voice. They hadn’t seen each other since they woke up in the morning and she hated those days when she could not see Lexa for several hours. Even after fourteen years, Clarke was still craving Lexa’s presence. 

She quickly took off her boots and her jacket before going to the living room where she saw Lexa training. 

Lexa was doing push-ups and she barely looked at Clarke, too focused on counting each push. Her skin was shining with a slight layer of sweat and Clarke's gaze stopped on Lexa’s breast. Her wife was facing her and Clarke could clearly see the top of her boobs. 

“How... was... your day?" asked the brunette, stopping in her sentence to breathe. 

“In all honesty... barely okay.” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow and made two more push-ups before getting back to the sitting position. 

"Barely okay?" she repeated, wiping the sweat from her forehead. 

Clarke shrugged before kneeling in front of her wife. She leaned on the brunette's lap to kiss her. Lexa gently stroked her arm, while answering the kiss. Lexa tried to back off after a few seconds, but Clarke hurried to put her hand on her neck to prevent her from backing away. She met her lips a second time with more force and Lexa pulled on Clarke's arm, getting her body closer. Lexa gently stroked Clarke's lips with the tip of her tongue just enough to annoy the blonde who desired more. After more long seconds, Lexa backed away a second time. They stood close to each other, short of breath and a smile on their faces. 

“Correction: I had a nice day,” half-joked Clarke. 

The smile on Lexa's lips grew and she caressed Clarke's arm. 

"You still can make me feel special," said the brunette. 

Clarke gave her a slight kiss on the tip of her lips before backing away and sitting down in front of her. 

“I can't help it when you look so sexy.” 

Lexa looked at herself, all sweaty and smelling and she raised an eyebrow. 

“Why was your day: barely okay?” 

Clarke sighed slightly and remained silent for a few seconds, caressing Lexa’s leg. 

"It’s the child delivery... It didn’t go as planned.” 

"It rarely goes as planned, right?" 

"Yeah... But this one was very difficult. An emergency cesarean section had to be performed and Lola could not be anesthetized. It all happened very quickly and...” 

Clarke paused in her sentence, thinking of the baby girl in her arms. Lexa frowned and took Clarke’s hand in hers. 

"And?" 

"And then I had the baby, the little girl, in my arms and then I realized that she has a mutation.” 

Lexa bit her lip. 

“I now understand your reaction better. What is her mutation?” 

"Her right leg is shorter. It stops at her knee. She misses one foot. And the worst part is that her mother doesn't know any of this.” 

"It's a delicate situation, I admit," said Lexa. 

“Delicate?” repeated Clarke, raising her eyebrows. “It's awful! Can you imagine her abandoning her baby, while Praimfaya will be here in less than 5 months? This baby didn't ask for any of this!” 

“And why are you imagining all of this?” asked Lexa, who wanted to be rational. “Did you talk to Lola about her daughter?” 

"No," replied the blonde. “She fell asleep.” 

“And do you think she could abandon her? From what I know, she’s a single mother. Maybe she’ll want to keep her baby.” 

Clarke crossed her arms. 

“Why would she go into exile, alone, with her daughter, when the end of the world is coming?” 

"Stop thinking too much," said Lexa. 

"No! Lexa, I'm a realist.” 

The brunette passed her hand over her face, thinking of a way to calm her wife. Clarke had already been in that position and Lexa had spent a tough week back then. 

“Listen, Clarke... I know you hate this part of our culture. That's not the thing I'm most proud of, either. Especially since we have Callum. I can't imagine losing him anymore, so I don't know how some people can give up their child. But I'll go with you to see the baby and her mother. I’ll talk to her.” 

"Really?" asked Clarke. “You would do that?” 

She was really touched by her wife's choice. Lexa nodded. 

"For you. And to avoid the worst week of my life.” 

Clarke took a serious face and she hit Lexa on the arm. The brunette laughed and she pulled the blonde toward her to kiss her. 

“We will go to see her in a few hours so she can sleep a little,” added Lexa before bringing her lips to Clarke’s throat. 

Clarke closed her eyes with a smile as she brought her hand to Lexa's waist to gently push it underneath her tank top. 

"Can we take this to our bedroom?” asked Lexa. 

Clarke quickly removed her hand and pulled her by the arm with her. Lexa didn't even hide her big smile. 

"I can’t believe you’re willing to give up your training so we can fuck.” 

"Making love is much more demanding," she replied. 

“So you're implying you're doing all the work for me today?” 

Lexa raised an eyebrow. 

“Princess.” 

Clarke laughed and she pulled Lexa's tank top toward her.

* * *

“Do you feel better?" asked Lexa, as she and Clarke were leaving the clinic. 

Clarke paused in her footsteps and closed her eyes, a smile on her face. Lexa also stopped and turned to face the blonde. She had her own smile when she saw Clarke look so happy and she took her hand. 

"Thank you, Lexa," said Clarke, softly. “You've been... Fantastic.” 

Lexa shrugged. 

“I was tactful while being attentive.” 

"And she listened to you," added the blonde. “The little girl will be safe. Until the end.” 

Lexa nodded slowly before pulling Clarke towards her for a hug. Clarke was surprised by the gesture, but she hugged her back. 

"I love you," whispered Lexa. 

"I love you too, darling.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Don't forget to ask me moments and leave me a kudos or comment to encourage me :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, Praimfaya's second sign is here!! Our friends aren't in a great position, you'll see. I hope you don't get mad at me for the one person I'm going to hurt and also... for SeaMechanic... Oups.
> 
> You'll also read something interesting about Callum at the beginning of the chapter, a wink at the tv series. Hit me up with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You'll read that Abby talks about ten ambassadors in Arkadia. That's because since she's talking about the ones who are going to live in there, she doesn't count the Skaikru ambassador (Marcus), neither Floukru since he died with Luna's clan and, of course, Azgeda, since the clan doesn't exist anymore.

"Are you sure I can go to Arkadia with Callum?" asked Lexa. 

Clarke didn't know if she should roll her eyes or smile. Lexa was asking her the same question since they had woke up and she couldn’t hear it anymore. 

"Yes, Lexa. For the... Hundredth time. I can stay in Polis alone. Octavia and Luna are staying with me. Gaia will help me with Polis.” 

Lexa nodded, as Clarke shifted her attention back to her cooking. 

“I will have Callum, Raven and Indra with me," added Lexa. “It's going to be all right.” 

"Everything will be fine," repeated Clarke. “I'm going to handle Polis like a pro. By the way, are you afraid of seeing my mom alone?” asked Clarke with a raised eyebrow. 

“Not at all. I can manage your mom.” 

“Manage! Ah!” laughed Clarke at Lexa’s word choices. 

Lexa's cheeks turned red and she tried a smile before approaching Clarke to leave a kiss on her cheek. Clarke smiled and Callum entered the kitchen. 

“I’ve just finished the chapter on the history of the 2000s to 2020.” 

"Already?" said Clarke. “You read it fast.” 

Callum shrugged his shoulders while leaning on the kitchen counter. 

“History is interesting. I understand evolution better. I can understand our culture better today. And it's not like you're going to give me... Tests like there used to be in schools more than a century ago.” 

Clarke laughed. 

"That's right! You're lucky, Cal.” 

“Tests? repeated Lexa. “The kind of exams you've already told me?” 

"Exactly," smiled Clarke. “I'm glad to see you're still listening when I talk.” 

Lexa rolled her eyes. 

"I always listen to you when you speak, Clarke. You're interesting.” 

Clarke smiled at her and she leaned over to quickly kiss her wife. Callum looked at them, raising an eyebrow. He wondered if he would ever be in this situation. He hadn't told anyone but Praimfaya was scaring him. He dreaded the future and what would happen to so many innocent people. 

"Your bag is ready, young man?" asked Lexa. “You know we're leaving early tomorrow morning.” 

"Yes, _nonom_ ,” replied Callum. "5 am sharp.” 

Lexa winked at him. 

"We're eating in a few minutes, Cal," said Clarke. 

He nodded and decided to return to his room. He put his right hand in his jeans pocket and tightened his grip on the metal pyramid. He had found the object a few days earlier, but he had not yet shared his find with anyone. His discovery, probably unimportant, could wait after his trip to Arkadia with his mother. He put the object in a box in his room and put away his history book before walking back to his mothers.

* * *

"Alone to run the capital for three days. I'm impressed," said Luna as she approached Clarke who was watching young warriors taking their medical course. 

“Two and a half days. But who counts?” whispered Clarke. 

Luna smiled and she crossed her arms as she watched the woman giving the course. 

"I'm impressed,” repeated Luna. 

"Impressed that I can stay here without Lexa?" said Clarke, raising an eyebrow. 

“No... I mean, yes," she added, laughing slightly. “I meant that I’m impressed that young warriors follow a first aid course before training. It’s important that they know how to take care of themselves and others.” 

Clarke nodded. 

“I brought the idea to Lexa eight years ago, I think. She loved it and presented my idea to the ambassadors who, curiously, all agreed.” 

Luna smirked. 

“I remember when my ambassador told me this news. I was proud of Lexa.” 

Clarke smiled as she thought of her wife and how far she had come. 

"Can I talk to you outside?" asked Luna. 

Clarke turned her head to look at her in the eyes. She nodded slightly and silently followed Luna out of the room. 

"What's going on?" asked Clarke. 

They stayed on the porch of the house where the course was given and Luna went straight to the point. 

"Did Raven talk to you recently?” 

Clarke raised an eyebrow. She remembered her conversation a few days ago with her friend. Raven had told her that Luna intrigued her and that she liked her, but she hadn't told her about Luna since. 

"You mean if she talked about you?" asked Clarke. 

Luna nodded. 

“No... Not recently.” 

Luna held a sigh. 

"Are things okay between you?" 

“Yes and no... It became strange.” 

"I barely saw her, to be honest," continued the blonde. “I think she stayed busy talking to Monty over the radio and doing her research from what Lexa told me.” 

"I have no doubt," said Luna. 

"Something happened between you?" 

Luna passed her hand through her curly hair. The gesture made her remember what Raven had told her two days ago. She had told her how much she loved her curly hair before touching them. Luna bit her lips at the thought and she brought her hand back to her side. 

“I'm not one to speak about my private life...” 

"I know," said Clarke. “And that's okay.” 

The brunette sighed. 

“It's just that... She’s not only distant from you. We got closer and... I thought it was mutual, but we have barely spoken since.” 

“Raven tends to close in on herself. She came to Polis because she had to open up precisely.” 

Luna nodded. 

“Abby explained it to me a little bit when I was in Arkadia.” 

“You are the first person I saw her smile and be herself with in a long time. Take that credit.” 

Luna had a slight smile. It reassured her. 

“I don't know how close you got, but you have to be firm with Raven. Don't believe that if you leave her alone she’ll open up. It's going to be worse. She thinks too much. Force her to open up. That's the best advice I can give you.” 

"Thank you," smiled Luna. “I'll wait for her to come back here.” 

Clarke smiled and winked at Luna before returning inside.

* * *

"I'm glad the visit went well," said Abby to Lexa as they were walking outside the Ark together. “Ten ambassadors to manage, that's a lot.” 

Lexa smiled. 

"Welcome to my world.” 

Abby chuckled and stopped walking to look at Lexa. 

"You're an excellent leader. Never doubt it.” 

“Thank you, Abby... And please, tell Clarke you think so," she added, smiling. 

"Count on me," said Abby with a wink. “Do you think the ambassadors liked the place? Few have come here before, so this is really another world for them.” 

Lexa nodded. 

"Yes, that's clear. But I wouldn't worry about it. They're all under my command and they're well aware that you're doing them a favour. They wouldn't all do the same thing in return. And judging by their questions, they appreciate it.” 

Abby let out a sigh of relief. 

“Thank you. You'll let me know what they're going to say behind my back.” 

"Of course.” 

Abby smiled at her again, but she frowned when she saw people covering the plantations and gardens. 

"What are they doing?” she asked herself. 

Lexa frowned and turned her head to look where Abby was staring. 

"They cover the plantations?" said Lexa. 

"Yeah but it's sunny outside... Excuse me,” she said before walking toward Miller who was supervising the work. 

Lexa followed her, curious about what was happening. 

“Miller! Why are you covering the gardens?” 

"It's Monty, Abby. He told us by radio that a big storm would hit us soon.” 

The Chancellor nodded. 

“One of you knows where Raven is? She's not answering her radio and we have questions with the electric grid.” 

Abby and Lexa exchanged glances as they shrugged. 

"No, I'm sorry," replied Abby. "If we see her we’ll ask her to contact you.” 

Miller nodded and the two women turned to the Ark. Lexa took a few steps before stopping. 

"I'll take care of looking for Raven. I'll let you go back inside, okay?” 

“Yes, no problem Lexa. See you later!” 

The brunette nodded and headed for the forest. She remembered hearing Raven talking about an old street lamp in the forest she wanted to look at and even if she couldn’t find her, she wanted to walk a little to clear her head.

* * *

It took Lexa fifteen minutes to find Raven. The latter was playing with a stone while sitting on an old tree trunk, long fallen to the ground. She had her face towards the ground and being in this position kept her from seeing Lexa approaching. Lexa saw a tear on her friend’s cheek. 

“Raven.” 

The voice startled Raven who quickly looked up before wiping her tear. Once she had her friend's attention towards her, Lexa stepped forward and went to sit next to her. Raven cleared her throat. 

"That’s ironic.” 

"What is?" asked Lexa. 

"I came here to cry, as you can see, and at the first opportunity, there is someone.” 

"I'm that someone.” 

Raven had an ironic laugh. 

"I’m happy to be that person because I was looking for you.” 

"Why were you looking for me?" asked the Latina with frowned eyebrows. 

“Miller and Monty need you for the electric grid.” 

A silence appeared and Lexa hesitated to speak again. She had told Raven what she had to say to her, but now that it had been done, she didn’t know whether or not to develop the conversation on the Luna subject. She had noticed the new distance between her two friends before they left for Arkadia and from what her childhood friend had told her two days ago, their relationship was developing beautifully. She couldn’t understand why then they were so distant and why Raven was crying alone. 

A sudden rumble was heard from the sky and the two women raised their heads. The sky had turned grey and a white flash appeared nearby. 

“Let's go home before the rain falls on us.” 

Several drops of water suddenly fell from the sky. Lexa swore mentally. She hated the rain. At least, she hated being outside in the rain. 

"Fuck!” 

Lexa turned her head to Raven, who was holding her forearm with one hand. A burn appeared and they widened their eyes. 

“Radioactive rain!” exclaimed Raven. 

She felt more droplets of water on her and the pain and the cries kept coming out of her mouth. Lexa did not think twice before taking off her jacket and putting it on her friend. Raven had no time to react. 

“CLIMB ON MY BACK!” 

Raven didn’t argue and quickly, Lexa was running through the forest with Raven on her back. She knew the brunette couldn't run fast and if she hadn't intervened, Raven would be almost dead. 

Nevertheless, Lexa received rain on her too and unfortunately, the radiation was burning her skin. She held her screams and ran at full speed to the shelter she knew was close. She knew that she was going to heal and that the pain was only temporary. It was these thoughts that helped her run. 

Raven rested her face on Lexa's back. Her thighs were burning through the wet fabric of her pants, but luckily the exposed skin of her face and arms was sheltered under the jacket. 

Lexa finally entered a small cave. She knew the place, having often walked around Arkadia with Clarke and their son. They had already made a fire under the stars a few months before and old rocks and pieces of wood were lying on the ground. They were finally sheltered from the rain and Raven dropped on her feet. Lexa's jacket slipped off her back to meet the ground and Raven herself fell to the ground. 

“Raven!” 

Lexa knelt beside her, still forgetting the pain she was feeling herself. She looked intently at her friend who was crying to hold back cries of pain. Raven was holding her arms, but Lexa could see small burns on her neck. Raven didn't seem to be having too much pain there yet, fortunately. 

"Hey! It's going to be okay, Raven.” 

The latter growled as she moved her head from left to right. 

"I don’t think so.” 

A swear crossed Lexa's mind and she quickly scanned the cave. Rocks, wood and a blanket littered the ground near them. She got up on both feet and took the blanket. At the same time, she noticed a bottle laying on the stone wall. She wasted no time opening it and thanked heaven when she saw water inside. 

“Give me your arms!” she ordered while kneeling in front of her friend again. “I'm going to pour clean water on the burns. It's going to clean up the rest of the radioactive water on your skin.” 

Raven nodded and Lexa slowly poured water on every burn she could see. Too soon for her, there was no water left and Raven dropped her head on the wall behind her. Her hands were holding her thighs and Lexa saw that her jeans were wet. 

“Lexa...You are burned too.” 

"I'm going to be fine.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. She knew Lexa was going to heal like Luna. She also knew that despite their recovery, she was suffering from pain. She could not help but be deeply grateful. Lexa had probably saved her life. 

“Thank you... Infinitely.” 

Lexa, who was now sitting next to her, nodded. 

“A real commander protects her people.” 

“A real friend protects her friends.” 

Lexa smiled. 

“Is the pain bearable?” asked Lexa. 

“A little more since you poured water... And yours?” 

"It's okay... I've been through worse.” 

Raven thought of all the wars and battles Lexa had been through. The war against Azgeda was the most recent of them. Raven turned her gaze toward the trees outside. She was not jealous of Lexa. She envied her resilience. She had not experienced any battles and compared to Lexa, she never had to kill her childhood friends. She had suffered physically and had lost her family, like Lexa, but at least Lexa now had a family and she was happy. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by the pain her wet jeans were causing her and a new tear slid down her cheek. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't mind Raven suffering again and again, please... You'll see more of her thought in the next chapter but I won't spoil you what happens with her health. 
> 
> I hope you appreciated the bro moment between Lexa and Raven and the small scene between Clarke and Luna too. It was small but I love to change dynamics :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa and Raven aren't great and Lexa helps her friend physically but mentally too.
> 
> Callum tells Abby an interesting idea. 
> 
> Someone's coming to Arkadia to help another person.

Arkadia’s population was inside the Ark. Abby had sent the uninjured guards to divide the population into smaller groups and to calm the most worried persons. She couldn't be the Chancellor and a doctor at the same time. She had to take care of the wounded first. Jackson, James and she were in the infirmary. James’ job was to get the wounded to undress to wash their skin as much as possible. Afterward, Jackson was looking at them to sort those who were the most wounded. He was bringing them to Abby who was giving them medication before treating the burns. The other nurses were caring for the others on standby. 

It wasn't perfect, but it was enough for now. 

Outside of the infirmary, in another room, Indra, Echo, Bellamy and Callum were standing around a table. 

"We must find Lexa," ordered Indra. “Without her, the coalition and the clans will be more difficult to manage than Praimfaya.” 

"You forgot Raven," added Bellamy. “According to Miller, Lexa went looking for Raven before the rain fell. They must be together.” 

"If she found her in time," added Echo. 

“Indra, we all know how much Lexa is important but no one can go out right now. You've seen with your own eyes what will happen to us.” 

Indra sighed and new arguments were heard. Callum remained silent. He was trying to keep negative thoughts out of his mind. 

_“Nomon_ is a nightblood. She'll be fine just like Luna, right?” 

The three adults in the room stopped their exchanges to look at Callum. Indra forced a smile. Among them, she was the closest to him. She had seen him grow up and she had trained countless times with him in Polis. For her, Callum was family just like Irene and Aurora. Until now, she had not thought about how Callum could feel. Perhaps because she was too busy thinking about the safety of her commander and maybe because Callum was a champion at keeping his emotions in control. 

Just like Lexa. 

"You're right, Callum.” 

Bellamy stared at him. Callum was standing next to him. He had a neutral expression, but Bellamy could see the fear in his eyes. 

The same fear he knew he had felt when he had feared for his sister. 

“Let's take the Rover.” 

Indra and Echo turned their gaze to Bellamy. 

“We will be safe in the Rover. We'll go and look around Arkadia.” 

Indra nodded. 

"Let's do it.”

* * *

Lexa had managed to light a small fire thanks to the wood remaining in the cave. The first flames were already warming up the area and drying their skin. Both women didn’t know how much time they had spent outside but it was already too long for Raven’s health. 

“Take off your pants.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"I didn't know you had an eye on me, Lex.” 

Lexa forced herself not to roll her eyes when she heard the nickname and Raven’s words. She was glad that her friend had kept her sense of humour. 

"Why?” added Raven, seeing Lexa’s face. 

“To dry it near the fire. It's wet and I know the longer you keep it on you, the more pain you’ll feel.” 

Raven knew she wasn’t wrong. Her jean was soaked and it was burning her thighs even more than five minutes earlier. 

“My leg brace must be removed first.” 

“Guide me.” 

Lexa knelt beside her and Raven guided her through the steps. She had done it well for Luna. 

_Luna..._

Raven mentally swore at herself. She hated herself. She hated herself for pushing Luna away after such an intimate moment. 

“Raven.” 

She came out of her thoughts. Lexa was staring at her. Her brace was on the ground next to her boots and she understood. She untied the button of her jeans and opened the zipper. She dragged her jeans the best she could along her thighs despite the position she was in. With Lexa's help, her jean was quickly removed and dropped by the fire. 

She felt weird being half-naked in front of Lexa. She was comfortable with her body, but she never thought she would be in a boxer in front of her friend's wife. 

Luckily for her, Lexa laid the blanket on her legs and Raven smiled at her. 

“Thank you,” she murmured. 

They stayed by the fire, while the rain was still falling outside. Each of them enjoyed the silence. Lexa didn’t share Raven's sense of humour and intellectual abilities, but she shared one thing with her: they didn't like empty-talk. 

The fire and the rain were the only two things they could hear and Lexa’s thoughts were firing in her head. She was thinking about Clarke and her son. She didn’t know if Polis was affected by the rain and whether her son was safe in Arkadia. The ambassadors had left Arkadia as soon as the visit was over so she didn’t either if they were safe or under the black rain. She was getting worried about many things. 

She knew she shouldn't assume anything. She could only wait for the rain to stop and then, return to Arkadia before going back to Polis. Thinking of Clarke, she remembered what Clarke had asked her to do. 

To help Raven. 

To help their friend. 

Lexa turned her gaze from the flames to her friend. Raven looked like she was on the edge of crying and Lexa could only empathize with her. She wanted to cry from fear too. 

"Why were you crying back then?" 

Raven kept her eyes on the fire despite the question. 

"Do you really want to know?” 

Lexa sighed. She hated that despite all these years of forming friendships with Clarke's friends, they could still think that she was not sincere. 

"Yes. I'm worried about you.” 

Raven had a slight smile. So small that Lexa didn't notice. 

"It's Luna, isn't it?" 

Raven finally turned her attention to Lexa. 

"Don't look at me like that. I learned how to read into people early in my training,” said Lexa. 

"I wish I could do that too.” 

“Luna will never hurt you, Raven.” 

“It's not Luna that I'm afraid of...” 

Lexa understood. 

"You're afraid of yourself... I understand.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. 

"You understand?" 

Lexa nodded. 

“A long time ago, before Clarke and I got married... There was only one mantra in my head: love is weakness. These are words that are taught to all Natblita. These words are inked in us. I was scared of myself. Afraid of hurting her. Voluntarily or not.” 

Raven nodded. It was exactly how she felt. 

“The only person I had in my life before Clarke was Costia. She died at the hands of Queen Nia. She delivered her head to my bed.” 

Raven knew this story and despite having heard it a couple of times, she got chills. 

“Clarke offered me her love. She offered me security. I could be myself with her. I could be Lexa and not Heda.” 

Lexa stops in her words to regain control of her emotions. 

“Raven.” 

She looked at Lexa again. Her gaze was serious and for a second, Raven felt tiny in front of Lexa. 

“Don't let your old experiences or fears dictate your way of behaving. You'll regret it. Luna wants little in life: honesty, peace and love.” 

Finally, the tears Raven was trying to hold back made their way out. They were streaming down her face and she brought her hands to her face. 

"I'm sorry... I can't take it anymore...” 

Against all odds, Lexa got closer to her to pass her arm around her shoulders and pull Raven towards her. The Latina froze slightly, but Lexa put her other hand on her leg and Raven drops her head on Lexa's shoulder. She stroked her shoulder with her hand, while Raven continued to cry silently.

* * *

Bellamy, Echo, Indra and Callum were all inside the Rover with Abby. The latter had joined them after Bellamy asked her to. No one knew what state Lexa and Raven were in and if they were in pain, they had to intervene quickly. Abby had her first-aid kit and some medication with her. They all knew how important Lexa and Raven were. Each in her own way. 

"Grandma?" 

Abby looked at Callum. She forgot her concern for Raven when her gaze clung to Callum’s. She offered him a smile and stroked his curly hair. 

"Yes?" 

“I think about many things these days and... Is it possible to share my mother's blood?” 

Abby frowned and Indra and Echo exchanged glances. 

“What do you mean, Callum?” 

He sighed. 

“My mother and Luna are Nightbloods. They can heal from radiation. Is it possible to heal us with it? Like the Maunon did.” 

Echo’s body crisped at the memory. She had been held captive there and had her blood stolen to save these thieves. 

“Cal, these people used regular blood transfusions to heal themselves temporarily. It's a good idea, but the radiation level now is much higher.” 

“It's worth trying again! I can give blood too.” 

Abby thought about it. Callum's idea wasn’t stupid. Grounder’s blood had made miracles in the mountains and she knew that Skaikru's blood was more tolerant to radiation. Still, she had seen the effects of the rain. Her people were not doing better despite their blood. She still thought of Luna. She had naturally healed thanks to her blood. That was true. She had seen it with her own eyes. However, she had no idea what effects her blood might have on someone with red blood. 

“Echo, come help me! I don't have enough eyes to look everywhere.” 

The former spy went to Bellamy to scan the forest in search of Lexa and Raven. 

"Abby, could that be a possibility?" 

Abby looked at Indra. 

"I don't know.” 

"It's worth a try," argued Callum. 

The two adults smiled. They recognized Clarke and Lexa's temperament in him. 

“No Nightblood has given blood before. We don’t know what could be the effects.” 

"There they are! In the cave.” 

The rover stopped abruptly and Callum didn’t wait to run to the front of the vehicle. He looked through the windshield and saw his mother standing, still inside the cave. Bellamy grabbed the radio. 

“Raven! Lexa! We're coming for you, don't move.” 

He drove forward to align the backdoors with the cave before driving backward until the doors were almost inside the cave. 

Lexa helped Raven get up. She still didn't have her pants or her brace. 

"Mom!” 

Lexa turned her head and saw Callum. The backdoors were open and he was standing inside the vehicle. 

"Stay inside, Callum," commanded Lexa. 

Indra and Abby got out. Echo and Bellamy stayed with Callum, but they all watched the four women. 

"Lie down, Raven.” 

"No, Abby, I'm fine. Let's go back to Arkadia. I’m okay.” 

The doctor narrowed her eyes. 

"You're not well, Raven. Look at yourself! You're hurt.” 

“I cleaned her burns, Abby.” 

The latter turned to take a look at Lexa. The commander had some burns on her skin too and Abby took a step closer to look. 

“As soon as we get to Arkadia, I'll do new tests like Luna's. I need to better understand how your blood works.” 

Lexa nodded. 

"Heda, we have to treat you.” 

"I'm fine, Indra. I'll heal. Raven is not that lucky right now. Help me get her back into the Rover.” 

Indra nodded and together, they helped Raven walk to Bellamy, who was waiting for her. Abby brought her pants, her boots and her brace and finally, they were all inside the Rover. Lexa didn’t have the time to sit down because Callum was hugging her tightly. She wasted no time hugging him back with the same amount of love. She had been worried about her son and knowing him close to her and without any injury reassured her more than she would have thought. 

"I love you.” 

They were just whispers, but Lexa had heard them. 

"Me too, Cal. It's going to be all right.” 

Neat them, Raven sat next to Abby, who disinfected every burn. 

"Were you near the cave when the rain fell?" asked Bellamy. 

"No," replied Raven. “From the first raindrops, Lexa protected my skin with her jacket and she carried me on her back.” 

They nodded, but no one dared to add anything. They all knew the reason behind this action and no one wanted to hurt Raven more than she was already suffering. 

"I owe her my life.” 

Lexa offered her a smile while sitting in front of her with her son. 

"Many people owe their lives to Heda," added Indra. 

Bellamy took Echo's hand. Indra wasn’t speaking about her in particular, but Echo had still become tense under the warrior's phrase. She knew she owed her life to Lexa. 

"I'm glad to see that you’re okay, Commander.” 

Lexa looked at Echo for the first time. Over the years, the conflict between the two women had dissipated enough that they could communicate with each other and trust each other. Still, Lexa didn't expect Echo's words. 

“Thank you.” 

"Take these, Raven. It's going to help ease the pain,” said Abby. 

Raven swallowed the two pills and finally, Bellamy went back behind the wheel to drive to Arkadia. 

"You had the right idea to clean the burns, Lexa. It helped me a lot.” 

She nodded. 

"I learned a lot from Clarke.” 

They smiled. 

"I hope I did well by taking off her pants.” 

"You did. It prevented prolonged contact with the water.” 

"You’re always saving everyone," said Raven. 

"When we will be in Arkadia, I will give you my blood, Raven.” 

Everyone, except for Bellamy and Echo who were sitting in the front, looked at Callum. 

"That's nice of you, but I don't need it. I haven’t lost blood.” 

"I know. I'm going to do what the Maunons did. It should help.” 

"We don't know yet, Callum," added Abby. 

Lexa stroked her son's hair, which caught his attention. 

"Cal, why do you want to do what they did? It wasn’t right.” 

"It wasn’t right because they gave you no choice. You were forced to give your blood and you were tortured. I won't be. Grandma's going to do it.” 

Lexa glanced at Abby. She knew how much blood transfusion could be important, but she had her doubts. Nevertheless, she understood through her mother-in-law's eyes that she should not argue with her son. 

“I hope the pills will work.” 

Abby looked at Raven. She tried a smile to reassure her and she could not help but kiss her on the forehead. Raven was embarrassed by the gesture, but she didn’t protest. 

She needed that love.

* * *

They were all finally in Arkadia's infirmary. Raven and Lexa were lying on a bed. Callum still hadn’t left his mother’s side. Despite the effects her blood would soon have on her recovery, Lexa was in pain and she had to sleep and rehydrate. 

Bellamy and Echo had gone back to work to help the other guards and Abby was examining the blood samples she had taken from Lexa once they had returned to Arkadia. With Luna, she had not examined her blood until after her recovery. This time, she could do it during the process. This was important information if she could consider nightblood transfusion. 

Indra entered the infirmary with a radio in her hand. She saw Lexa chatting with Callum and did not wait before joining them. 

“Heda. Jovaheda wants to speak with you," she says, handing her the radio. 

Lexa stood up to sit. She was more than eager to know the situation in Polis. 

“Clarke. It's Lexa. Are you safe?” 

_“Lexa! Thank God... Yes, everything is fine. There was no rain here. Indra informed me about the situation. It's catastrophic.”_

_“_ We avoided the worst. I think two people died from their injuries yet.” 

_“You're right... How are you doing?”_

Lexa could hear the anxiety in her voice. Callum listened to the exchanges between his two mothers and Indra had stepped back a few steps, wishing to offer them privacy. 

"I'm fine. I'll be fine, you know it.” 

_“Yes, fortunately...”_

“Raven doesn’t have the same chance.” 

There was a moment of silence at the other end of the radio. Lexa took the opportunity to glance at her friend. Raven had been asleep for a few minutes. 

"She's not well, Clarke... And I'm not talking about radiation.” 

There were another silence and Lexa was about to speak. 

_“Luna’s leaving for Arkadia.”_

Lexa raised an eyebrow and glanced at Callum. 

"Why?” 

_“She has things to deal with Raven and... From what she told me just before leaving a few seconds ago, she doesn't want to let her suffer alone. Raven was by her side when the roles were reversed. She wants to be there for her.”_

Lexa had a smile. She was proud of her friend. 

“I will notify Arkadia of her arrival. Clarke?” 

_"Yes?"_

“I love you... I was so scared that the same thing had happened to you.” 

_“It's fine, Lex... We know it can happen here. I will talk with the ambassadors to protect the clans and each person. No one else has to die.”_

"You got it, Clarke.” 

_“I love you too.”_

Lexa's heart crisped. She felt Clarke’s love, but she suffered from not being by her side. Callum suddenly touched her thigh and Lexa shifted her attention to him. 

"Can I talk to her?” he asked. 

"Of course, my love.” 

She gave him the radio and he left her side. Lexa asked Indra, with a simple head gesture, to follow him. She nodded and left too while Abby entered. 

“Abby. Are you bringing us good news?” 

The doctor sat down on Callum’s chair and grabbed Lexa's hand. 

"I know that nightblood is sacred. There are only few people born with this particularity...” 

Abby left her sentence in suspense and Lexa frowned. 

“Did your tests lead to a conclusion?” 

"Yes. I'd like to try a blood transfusion. I mean with your blood. Callum gave me the idea and despite the tests, I don't know if it will be dangerous for the person receiving nightblood, but it is a risk we have to try.” 

Lexa nodded slowly. 

"Do you want to try it with me?" 

"No, not you. You're still too weak. And with the level of radiation already present in your blood and not yet evacuated, it could be even more dangerous to have a transfusion.” 

"Luna.” 

Abby raised her eyebrows. 

“She’s leaving Polis to come here as we speak. She'll come with her horse, but if you can join her halfway with a Rover, she'll be here before it gets dark.” 

"I'm going to warn Bellamy and Nate. They'll go and get her. I will be back.” 

"Wait.” suddenly said Raven. 

Abby stopped, waiting for her to continue. 

“Who are you going to try the transfusion on?” 

“On one of the sickest people. If things go wrong, I'll feel less bad.” 

Lexa nodded and Abby was about to leave when Raven's voice was heard again. 

"I volunteer. I want you to do the transfusion on me.! 

“Raven, there could be risks. I don't want to try on you.” 

“Abby. I want to help you and I want to do it. And you can't do that the transfusion on the most injured person. This could hinder the results. I'm the perfect person.” 

Abby sighed. Raven's gaze left no room for confrontation. She finally nodded and left the infirmary. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! 
> 
> Nightblood transfusion is happening next chapter but will it work?
> 
> Raven and Luna will share a moment and you'll get a snippet of Clarke in Polis.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The nightblood transfusion is here guys! Luna and Lexa have a moment. Clarke talks with Octavia and Lincoln.

Two hours later, Abby had installed the blood transfusion equipment near Raven's bed. Her health had not improved. She was still dizzy and in pain from the burns. The medication she had taken was no longer effective. Lexa, on the other hand, was feeling much better. Her blood was doing miracles and some  burns were already disappearing. 

"Take this mom. I brought you some soup from the cafeteria.”

Lexa smiled at her son who was walking to her and she took the bowl of boiling soup once he was in arms distance.

"That's nice. I was getting hungry.”

"You didn't bring any to your aunt, Cal?"

The young boy looked at Raven who gave him a faint smile. He smiled back at her. He respected and admired Raven's tenacity. She reminded him of his mothers. Callum noticed his aunt's gaze deviate further behind him and he turned to see Luna. The Grounder wasted no time in walking towards them and finally stopping at Raven’s side.

“You’re still getting in trouble when I’m not by your side.”

“ Pfff ... I was never in trouble before I met you," replied Raven.

The two women stared at each other. Raven wanted her eyes to be mocking, but the stare Luna gave her prevented her from doing so. Luna looked at her with sadness and delicacy and Raven finally looked away, not being able to share the same look.

"I'm glad to see you, Luna. We need your help.”

She turned to Abby. 

“What's going on?”

Abby looked at Lexa. She preferred if Lexa was the one to talk to her about the blood transfusion. Lexa understood the message and she cleared her throat.

“As you've seen recently, our blood makes us immune to radiation. It can save us. Abby did some tests on my blood during the healing process and she'd like to do a blood transfusion. With your blood.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. Enough years had passed for her to know the meaning of these words. She knew the positive effects of blood transfusion. Some of her late clan members had benefited from these transfusions in Arkadia.

"You want my blood because it's black?" 

Abby nodded.

“Why not take Lexa's? You would have had it long before I arrived.”

“Lexa is still healing and the radiation level is still too high. Doing a blood transfusion with hers could be more dangerous.”

Luna nodded.

"I understand.”

"It's not a religious thing or against your beliefs," added Abby.

“Don't worry. I hated my blood for a long time. I wish I'd given it away.”

"It's not going to happen. I believe that the proper blood helps to recover from the harmful effects of radiation exposure like the  Maunon believed. At that time, they were using your blood and ours. They wanted to use our bone narrow for a long-term result, but for  Praimfaya , it won’t work. The radiation level is too high. Even for us. On the other hand,  nightblood does miracles and I think it can help with recovery.”

“I'll be your first client.”

Luna looked at Raven again. The mechanic offered her a smile and Luna couldn't help but smile too. She had missed her smiling face. She had missed all of Raven. Even her stubborn side.

"Then I'm ready. Let's do it.”

It only took a few minutes for Abby to put Luna in Lexa's bed and to connect her to all the equipment. Lexa had offered her bed so that Luna would be close and seated comfortably near Raven. The equipment was installed between the two women. Lexa was sitting nearby. Indra and Callum were with them to observe.

"Raven, how are you feeling?"

"I've never been better, Doc.”

Abby sighed at Raven's sarcasm.

"You don't have to be brave.”

Raven looked at Luna. The catheter was installed in her inner elbow and despite the strange effect it had on her, Luna reached out to Raven. The latter remained frozen for a few seconds, before finally grasping the hand offered to her. 

"Are you ready, Luna?" asked Abby.

Without leaving Raven's eyes, Luna nodded and Abby opened the valves. Black blood passed through the pipes and medical equipment. All eyes followed the blood and they all hid their fear when it finally entered Raven's body. Abby was examining her protégé's vital signs and was relieved when she saw that nothing changed. 

"Are you all right?" asked Abby, looking at Raven to see some sign.

"Yes. I don't feel any different.”

Callum, who until now was with Indra, decided to go near his aunt. Raven and Luna were still holding hands and he got on the mechanic's bed to take her other hand. Raven looked at him with a tender smile.

"I'm glad to have you close to me, big boy.”

"Me too... You're going to be cured soon. I promise. Thank you Luna for helping us.”

"It's a great honour for me.” 

“Two more minutes Luna and then I stop the transfusion. We can't take too much of your blood.” 

Luna nodded to Abby's words. 

"Everything seems to be going well. It makes me feel better. Your body doesn't seem to react any differently,” she added to Raven.

"That's good news.”

“Great news. I'll be watching you closely for the next twenty-four hours.”

The two minutes were up and Abby stopped the transfusion and she freed Luna from the needles, causing them to let go of their hands.

“Stay here for five minutes. I'm going to bring you some sugar to help you regain some  strength .”

Abby left with Callum. She had asked him to follow her and Lexa went for a walk with Indra. Abby had allowed her to walk with someone by her side and Lexa wanted to give some privacy to her two friends.

“Callum cares a lot about you.”

“I’m like his aunt, despite the non-existent blood-related thing. But I want to make it clear that of all his aunts, I'm the coolest.”

Luna had a slight laugh.

"I have no doubt about that. I also expected you to clarify it to me.”

Raven nodded and a grave silence settled between them. A thousand thoughts crossed her mind. She wanted to free her consciousness and apologize. She wanted to cry, she wanted to get Luna out of her sad air and she wanted to kiss her.

“I'm sorry.”

Those were the only words Raven managed to say. Her emotions were catching up with her and she closed her eyes. She didn't want to cry. Not yet.

Luna understood what Raven was trying to do and she got closer to grab her hand again. Raven's jaw tightened and she closed her eyes even harder. A tear still made its way between her eyelids and she hurried to dry it with her other hand.

“Don't hold back your feelings. It won't help you.”

Luna continued to stare at Raven and she couldn't help but kiss her hand.

"Look at me.”

Raven waited a few seconds to comply with the request. Her wet eyes met Luna’s who offered her a slight smile.

"I know you're hurt. I know you want to tell me a lot of things. You don't have to. Not right now. Take care of yourself for the next few hours and I will be by your side to help you.”

"Thank you," whispered Raven.

Luna nodded and she felt the mechanic's hand gripped hers harder.

* * *

Clarke had just finished her meeting with the ambassadors. She had spent more than an hour with them sharing the effects that  Praimfaya would soon have on their clan and the precautions they all had to take. They were aware of the black rain and Clarke had shared with them the latest information on their commander's health. Lexa was well and was on the road to recovery. They all knew they were lucky to have left Arkadia before the rain. They had gotten back to Polis rapidly and they didn’t waste any time before attending Clarke and Gaia’s council.

For the ambassadors and Gaia, this was more than good news. Lexa's  nightblood reinforced their beliefs of the flame and Heda. They were all eagerly awaiting Lexa's return. Her arrival was scheduled for the next day. Clarke had to be in charge of Polis for another thirty-six hours. She knew very well how to manage the ambassadors, it wasn’t a problem for her, but she preferred to manage the clinic and take care of the sick and injured people.

As the doors to the throne room closed, Gaia turned to Clarke.

"You handled the meeting well.”

“Thank you, Gaia. After so many years of observing Lexa, I know how to talk to them.”

Gaia had a laugh.

“Diplomacy is natural for you. Callum also has that quality.”

“He does... Despite what I want, the older he gets, the more he becomes a mini version of Lexa.”

Gaia raised an eyebrow.

"That's a good thing.”

Clarke sighed.

"You're not a mother, you can't understand how I feel.” 

Gaia did not reply. 

“I will be at the clinic for the rest of the day. If anyone's looking for me, just send them there.”

Gaia nodded and Clarke left the tower. On her way to the clinic, she met Irene and Aurora who were walking through the capital. The twins quickly noticed their aunt and after a few exchanges, they followed her to the clinic. Despite their training, the two sisters liked to spend a lot of time with their father and Clarke. 

The rest of the afternoon passed in the blink of an eye. The twins had a calming effect on Clarke who was finally able to let her mind think of things other than the end of the world. Her nieces allowed her to laugh and have fun working. By diner time, Octavia had joined them and she invited Clarke to eat with them. In less than an hour, the family and Clarke were sitting around the dining table and despite the funny conversation the twins were exchanging, the adults were discussing their future. 

“Do we know how many people per clan will go to Arkadia?”

Clarke nodded before answering. She took the time to swallow her food and Lincoln and Octavia exchanged glances.

“Eight people.”

“Eight!” exclaimed Octavia. “Unbelievable...”

"It's hard to hear, I know... The Ark will need to be well maintained and repaired in the first few years.  Skaikru is, so far, the only clan with the abilities and knowledge. Twenty people will be there. Luna is the only survivor of her clan and since she has  nightblood , she will  survive. She isn’t included in our calculations. It's the same for Lexa and the other Nightblood. They will be able to live outside and help us recover more food. If there are any...”

"Why, "If there are any",” asked Lincoln.

“We don’t know yet what will be the radiation effects on nature. Trees could die. So are animals. There may not be anything left. Except for us.”

They all exchanged the same look. Uncertainty. 

“So, for the last eighty places available, eight people will be able to come for the other ten clans.”

Octavia looked at her daughters. They were eating and laughing together, not seeming to have an interest in the adults’ conversation. Octavia smiled for a few seconds before it disappeared as soon as she imagined a life without them. She didn’t know if she herself had a place in Arkadia, but one thing was certain to her: she would never go to Arkadia place without her family. 

* * *

The sun was barely showing in the sky. Despite the early hour, Lexa was awake. She shared her room with her son and after losing sleep, she left their room to let him sleep. She knew all the anxiety and emotions Callum had been through in the last few hours and Lexa wanted her son to be healthy. She knew that sleep would help him recover. Despite this belief, she was standing outside. She wanted to meditate and communicate with the former commanders. This practice was just as important to her now than it was fourteen years ago.

She quickly sat, cross-legged, on the still cool turf of the morning. Lexa's eyes were already closed and she was concentrating on the sound of nature around her. She heard the guards of Arkadia changing posts, the few farmers who appeared to start their work. The birds that sang nearby in the forest. The light breeze on her face. 

She finally connected with herself and the flame. She felt this strange sensation, as always, and she was finally able to see some key moments of former commanders.

"Can I join you?"

Lexa opened her eyes. She knew that Luna was not in front of her and she did not turn her head to her friend. Instead, she remained in her original position with a smile on her face.

“You can join, although I doubt you are inspired by the former commanders.”

Luna laughed mockingly as she sat left to Lexa.

"You're right. Even so, I grew up with you in Polis. Titus also taught me.”

Lexa raised an eyebrow.

“He was never your favourite Fleimkepa.”

“And I wasn't his favourite.”

Lexa finally looked at Luna and they exchanged a serious look before smiling.

"I almost didn't recognize you.”

“What do you mean?”

Luna adjusted her position before answering.

“Your hair. I haven't seen you with your natural hair since our teachings.”

"Ah. You, on the other hand, still haven't learned how to manage your hair.”

Lexa held a smile and Luna rolled her eyes.

"It does my charm.”

"You're right... Raven likes you after all.”

Luna remained silent and Lexa couldn’t help but reassuring her friend.

“I talked to her when we were in the cave together... She told me about you.”

Lexa observed Luna's slight eyebrow shrug. Lexa knew that Luna was more hurt by the situation than she showed. She had just lost her entire clan and through the whole end of the world and her black blood, there was Raven.

"She likes you very much and she blames herself.”

"What does she blame herself for?

“To have ignored you.”

Luna nodded.

“Thank you, Lexa. But I'd like to hear the rest from Raven's mouth.”

"Of course.”

"Let’s meditate.”

* * *

Raven opened her eyes after the few hours of sleep she had managed to find. She was facing the bed next to hers and she found it empty. Neither Luna nor Lexa was there. She was disappointed. Her last memory was of her falling asleep in her bed, while Luna was still holding her hand. Luna had convinced her to stop apologizing and to focus on her recovery 

The mechanic tried to sit on her bed. Tiredness still clouded her brain but she managed to sit and she saw Abby. The doctor was asleep, sitting on a chair at the foot of her bed. Like every morning, Raven massaged her left leg with one hand and, as always, she felt nothing. She sighed and her gaze fixed her arm. She approached it to her face, stroking it with her other hand. 

_ There are no more burns. _

Her skin was dull and smooth. She couldn't see any burns. A laugh came out of her mouth and she hurried to wake Abby.

“Abby!” she exclaimed, patting the doctor.

Abby stood up and quickly looked at Raven as if she had never fallen asleep. Any air of fatigue on her face disappeared when she became aware of Raven's condition. 

"Tell me I have nothing left on my face," said Raven.

Abby got up and approached her. 

"There are no burns," said Abby, stunned. 

Raven laughed again. 

"It worked," whispered Abby. 

Raven grabbed her hand.

"You did it.”

Abby nodded, smiling. It was a huge step towards survival. Raven pulled her towards her and the two women briefly hug. 

"How do you feel? Do you have a headache?

“I truly feel good.”

“I'll do some tests, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, all the chapters are uploaded. I will delete them from Being With you soon so you can focus on the second part.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We know more about Raven's blood. Lexa shares with Abby a proposition. Clexa reunion and Lexa talks to her ambassadors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the wait! I had a busy end-term and weekend and I wasn't on A3O for more than a week.

Abby had conducted a multitude of tests outside the infirmary with Raven. There were eleven other people seriously injured from the black rain and she wanted to prevent their families from rioting. Only Indra, Callum and Lexa were aware of the blood transfusion results on Raven and since the effects were positive, she wanted to avoid draining Lexa and Luna of all their blood for the time being. 

She doubted that her people would threaten Lexa since she was their commander and very intimidating, but Luna...

Abby had stopped thinking when the name Luna had appeared in her head.

Raven and she were in her medical office. Jackson was caring for the other wounded and some minor surgeries, so Abby asked Callum for help. The choice might have been surprising, but Callum had been taking medical courses at Polis for many years now and he had often helped Abby during his visits to Arkadia. He was interested in medicine and had the knowledge to help her by bringing the medical instruments and tools from the infirmary to her office and help her perform some basic tests.

Abby was analyzing blood samples and, as she predicted, Raven's blood was red again. No trace of black blood. 

"Are you hungry? Do you want me to bring you lunch?”

Raven looked at Callum.

"Yes, I'm starving. That would be really nice.”

Callum nodded and left the office for the cafeteria. The walk to go there was not very long and Callum was already waiting for lunch. A cooked egg later and he was on his way back to Abby’s office with an egg, a slice of bread, jam and a coffee. He met some familiar faces, but he was surprised when his path met Luna's. His tray and Luna's abdomen touched and Callum lost his grip. Luckily, the  Natblita's reflexes were sharp and she caught the tray with minimal coffee damage.

“Luna! Please, forgive me.” 

"Don’t worry. It's my fault, too. Where were you going with that?”

She put the tray back in the young boy's hands.

"It's for Raven.”

Luna raised an eyebrow.

"Has she been awake for a long time?”

“At least half an hour. She's with Abby.”

He approached her and whispered the rest of his sentence to her.

“She's cured. Thanks to you.”

He recoiled with a smile and Luna felt any anxiety disappear from her.

"Do you want to come with me?" 

Luna nodded and together, they made their way back to Abby's office. Callum entered the security code of the door and Luna was still surprised by this technology.

"It took you a while!” joked Raven when she saw Callum come in. 

Abby lifted her gaze from her screen for a second. Luna followed Callum step by step and she froze when she saw Raven. The latter smiled at her while taking the tray from Callum's hands. The young boy went near his grandmother. 

"Sit down, Luna.”

Luna came out of her torpor when she heard Raven's voice. She smiled at her and approached to stand in front of her. Her hand met Raven's cheeks who remained marble. Her thumb stroked her skin and against all odds, Luna bent down to kiss her forehead. 

Raven closed her eyes under the tenderness of the gesture. The contact of the lips against her skin made her feel the sensations she had experienced a few days before in Polis. Luna and she had not had sex, but they had kissed several times and she missed contact. She missed Luna's closeness and love.

Abby and Callum looked from the corner of their eyes at the Grounder's gesture. Despite the slight discomfort of attending such a chaste but intimate moment too, Abby was happy to see that Raven had met such a sweet person. She knew Luna little, but she knew the kind of person she was. 

Finally, Luna stepped back and took a seat near Raven, who began to eat. 

"How do you feel?"

"All right," replied Raven after her bite of bread. “As you can see, all traces of radiation are gone. Thanks to you.”

"Is your blood black?"

"No. Ask Doc to explain.”

Luna raised an eyebrow while looking at Abby. 

“Blood transfusion is only temporary. Your black blood did get into Raven's system and it did its job. It filtered the radiation and destroyed everything. But since Raven's bone marrow, which produces her blood, produces only red blood, the black blood is gone, in a sense.”

“So if Raven comes into contact with radiation again, will she get sick?”

They all nodded.

“That's the other side of it.”

* * *

Abby and Callum were eating dinner together. They were sitting in the cafeteria and Abby was listening to her grandson explaining the last things he had learned in his history classes. The moment was simple and reminded them of their old routine before Praimfaya showed up. 

As she listened to Callum speak, Abby saw Lexa enter and the latter quickly spotted them. She walked towards them and seated next to her son. Callum was surprised by her sudden presence, but he smiled tenderly and Lexa kissed him on the head.

"I'd like to share an idea with you, Abby,” said Le xa when Callum had stopped speaking.

Abby raised an eyebrow and nodded.

“We’ll leave Arkadia for Polis tomorrow morning. You know I'm the longest-reigning Commander, so the number of  Nightbloods still alive is higher than it ever was. Fourteen  Nightbloods are still alive. I'd like to invite them here for a blood donation. I hate to know that people here are suffering, while there are many people who can donate their blood and help them heal.” 

Callum and Abby looked at her with wide eyes. Lexa's idea was far from stupid and Abby was once again surprised to admire her daughter-in-law. Lexa was far from the one she had known fourteen years ago.

"Your idea is excellent, mom.”

Lexa smiled.

"I am grateful for your idea, Lexa. On the other hand...” 

Abby looked at Callum. He waited for her to continue her sentence, but she knew that he would surely not appreciate what she was going to say. Lexa understood why Abby had stopped talking and she made up an excuse.

“Cal, I forgot to tell you that your mother wants to talk to you. The radio is in our room.”

"Now?"

"Yes.”

He raised an eyebrow, suspicious of what his mother had just told him. Nevertheless, he got up and grabbed his tray. 

"Good evening, Grandma.”

"Good evening. I love you.”

"I love you too.”

With those words, he left the two adults. Abby and Lexa looked silently at Callum and it wasn’t until he left the cafeteria that Abby spoke.

“Thank you for the excuse. I don't think he would have liked to hear what I'm going to say.”

Lexa nodded.

"I appreciate your offer, but I don't think it's worth it. It’s not worth bringing all these people here and giving false hope to the sick people when they will die a few weeks later.”

Abby rubbed her forehead with her right hand. She didn't know how to handle the situation well.

“Arkadia cannot afford to feed a dozen more mouths either.”

“Polis will provide them with food and tents to sleep outside.”

Abby remained silent for a few seconds. 

“I understand your point of view, Abby... But these people deserve those few more weeks. They have a family that cares about them. They need to be offered that solution when it is possible. We did it for Raven... We have to do it for the others.”

Lexa got up. Abby placed her elbows on the table and put her head in her hands. Lexa leaned over to her.

“Think about it. I'll wait for your answer before we leave in the morning.”

* * *

"You haven't forgotten anything, Cal?"

"No, mom. I'm ready to go.”

Lexa and he had stored their last bags in the Rover that Raven was going to drive to Polis with Luna. The two women were returning to Polis together. Luna wanted to return to her friends even though she was grateful for what Arkadia had done for her. Raven, for her part, wanted to be with Luna to try to develop a better relationship and because she wanted to continue to take care of her mental health. She could not change anything about  Praimfaya even by staying in Arkadia. Abby, Marcus and Sinclair had all encouraged her again to take care of herself. 

Raven was sitting in the Rover, ready to go. Luna was still outside talking to Harper and Raven would be lying if she didn't fear the moment she would share with her. 

Lexa closed the back doors of the vehicle and walked up to Luna and Harper. She greeted the two women as she approached.

“Ready to make the trip with Raven?”

Harper raised an eyebrow while waiting for Luna's response. She crossed her arms.

“Yes... I am more ready than her, anyway.”

Lexa had a little smile. She knew Raven was anxious about Luna and their relationship. 

“If there is  an awkward silence, ask her for music.”

The idea came from Harper and Luna nodded, taking note. Finally, they said goodbye and Luna went to the Rover and Lexa to her horse. Callum was already on his horse, ready to go. Lexa was on her horse when Abby called her name.

“Lexa!”

She looked towards Abby who was walking at a fast pace towards her. Her face was full of fatigue and Lexa knew what kind of night she had gone through. Abby stopped by the horse and she gently stroked his neck for a few seconds before looking at Lexa.

"I accept your help. Send the  _ Nightbloods  _ as soon as you can.”

Lexa nodded, smiling.

"They'll be here tomorrow night.”

Lexa held out her right arm and Abby grabbed it as a goodbye.

* * *

The arrival of  Heda and her son in Polis was quickly noticed. The rumour that  Heda had recovered from the black rain and that she was going to survive  Praimfaya had left no one indifferent in the capital. The guards stationed at the entrance to the city knelt when they saw her arrive. Lexa quickly asked them to get up and bring the horses to the stables. Ryder, Callum and she entered the streets and, as Lexa suspected, the people of the different clans bowed before her. Lexa greeted them and thanked them for their welcome, while Callum walked proudly alongside his mother. 

Ryder kept the crowd from clumping in front of them. Some people started shouting "Heda!" and Lexa didn't know how to feel in front of that admiration. 

She continued her walk to the tower where she knew Clarke and the ambassadors were waiting for her. She needed to share with them the imminent departure of the __ _ Nightbloods _ __ for Arkadia. They finally arrived inside the large building. Lexa could not take another step before being captured by a pair of arms. She held back a growl of surprise, as she recognized Clarke's smell and hair. 

"I'm so happy to see you safe and sound.”

She whispered these words against the ear of the brunette who shivered under the warm breath. Clarke finally recoiled from the embrace to frame her wife's face with her hands. She laid a sweet kiss against her lips. 

Ryder looked away and Callum waited patiently for his mothers to finish their reunion. Clarke recoiled completely from Lexa to turn to Callum. 

"I missed you, my love. I was so scared for you.”

She put her cheek against his curly hair, taking time to enjoy the moment. Lexa ordered Ryder to alert the ambassadors of her arrival and to bring them to the throne room. The small family was alone, except for the guards at the elevator doors.

“I have to discuss with all the ambassadors about what happened and that the  Nightbloods must leave at dawn tomorrow.”

Clarke recoiled from Callum, frowning.

“The Nightbloods? Why do they have to leave?”

“They will give a quantity of their blood to those who have been affected by the black rain for them to heal. It's a temporary solution, but they all deserve this treatment, like Raven.”

Clarke and Callum nodded.

“Can I be present during the meeting?” 

Lexa looked at her son and she nodded. Together, they entered the elevator. Lexa took advantage of the silence of the climb to regain some calm and reflect on what she was going to say. But the elevator doors opened too soon for her and she forced herself to walk towards the double doors of the throne room. The two guards opened the doors and the family entered. All the ambassadors fell silent and bowed their heads.

As Marcus was in Arkadia, Clarke went to sit in the  Skaikru chair and Callum went up to join the  Nightbloods near the stairs. Lexa continued her walk to her throne where Indra and Gaia were waiting for her, each standing beside the chair. 

Lexa finally turned toward the ambassadors, once in front of her throne. Gaia asked the ambassadors to raise their heads and Lexa sat. 

“As  Jovaheda explained to you all two days ago, the black rain fell on the territory of  Skaikru and  Trikru . Unfortunately, I was hit by this rain, as was Raven  kom Skaikru , their chief mechanic. Obviously, I healed, as we explained to you a week ago the effects the  nightblood would have.”

Lexa paused, allowing the ambassadors to assimilate the information. 

“Raven, a good friend and our ally, unfortunately, doesn’t benefit from nightblood. Still, she's healed.”

All looked at each other with an interrogative expression on their faces.

“My son, Callum, raised an interesting idea to the Chancellor of Arkadia who, thanks to Luna  Kom Floukru , managed to implement this idea. A  nightblood transfusion.”

Some ambassadors were outraged that Luna had shared her precious blood and they began to whisper.

"That's enough!”

Silence returned to the room and Lexa continued her monologue.

“The transfusion does not give permanent  nightblood . Raven still has red blood. The transfusion helped her fight the radiation in her body and ensured a safe recovery. That’s why I will send all the  Nightbloods to Arkadia at dawn tomorrow to donate blood to other sick people.” 

“What about Trikru? We were also victims of black rain.”

Lexa looked at her clan's ambassador.

“I still haven't been updated on the wounded and dead of the clan. I am waiting for these answers as soon as possible and will take the necessary steps to make sure all the people who can and will want the treatment to have it as soon as possible.”

The ambassador nodded, happy with the answer. Lexa answered a few other answers and the meeting ended earlier than she thought. Indra escorted the ambassadors to their respective quarters and Gaia accompanied the Nightbloods for the preparations. The little family was alone in the big room.

"Are you ready to go home?" 

Clarke took Lexa’s hand while asking the question. Lexa didn’t wait a second to seize hers and to rise from the throne.

"I'm more than ready.” 

Clarke gently kissed her and, together, they left for their house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! Next one will show you Raven and Luna on their way to Polis and a new plot/antagonist forming....


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raven and Luna's drive to Polis.
> 
> New antagonists appear and you're won't like them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Italics conversations are in Tridasleng.

_ Departure from Arkadia to Polis _

Raven and Luna had left Arkadia for only five minutes, but Raven couldn’t tolerate the silence between them anymore. She was changing her sitting position every thirty seconds, hoping it would keep her mind busy in some weird way. Still, it was a waste of time and she knew it.

Luna wasn’t blind. She could see Raven's discomfort and after the hundred times Raven moved, she began to touch the buttons in front of them. Raven frowned when she saw her from the corner of her eye. Luna leaned her body towards the dashboard, bringing herself closer to the other woman. She still kept her attention to the buttons she touched. 

“What are you doing?”

Luna finally turned her gaze to Raven. 

"Finally, you decided to talk," Luna laughed. “I thought you were going to stay quiet during the whole drive to Polis.”

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"You were doing this to get my attention?"

Luna nodded and Raven sighed as she passed her hand over her face. 

"Excuse me.”

Luna put her hand on Raven's thigh, which made her gaze turn towards the gesture for a few moments. 

"It's a great quality of you. You apologize easily. It’s not a natural thing for most of my people.”

Raven had a slight smile.

“Thank you...”

Luna kept looking at her and she gently caressed her thigh. Raven forced herself to keep her gaze on the road, but she sighed softly under the gentleness of the gesture.

"Why were you apologizing?"

“For the awkward silence... And because I have to stop running away from situations where I have to talk about my emotions.”

Luna remained silent even if she wanted to agree with her. Instead, she tightened her grip on her thigh to encourage Raven to speak. Raven glanced at Luna quickly before grabbing her hand with her right one. She intertwined their fingers and rested their hand on her thigh. 

"I want you to know that I really have feelings for you. I really like you... You’re the first person that makes me feel like a real woman without a disability. You’re quite the opposite of me, but in spite of everything, every day, I see in you something that I would like to have in me.”

Raven paused to pick up her thoughts and Luna remained silent, knowing Raven needed time. 

"I know that after our first kiss, we said that we liked each other and I wanted to kiss you... I still have that desire...”

She looked at Luna for a few seconds before continuing her speech.

“That night was great... We continued to be close and to kiss, but the next morning... I couldn't cope with my feelings. I'm afraid of losing and being hurt. I've always been hurt in my past relationships. I've always lost the person. My life is full of emotional failures. I think I'm cursed. I didn't have a father growing up and my mother didn't take care of me. My first boyfriend died. And honestly, even if the other men I dated are not dead, they are no longer in my life.”

“Can you stop the Rover, please?”

Raven didn’t expect this request. Nevertheless, after a quick interrogative glance towards Luna, she braked and parked the Rover on the side of the road. Luna removed her hand from hers to untie her seat belt before walking in the back. Raven followed her with her eyes, frowning. Luna returned after about thirty seconds. She sat in her seat. 

"I want to thank you for your openness. I know that it’s not easy for you to talk about your personal life and your problems and your feelings and, please, know that I understand your concerns. I like you very much, Raven.”

Luna smiled and swept a strand of hair from Raven's face. Her hand stroked the skin of her neck and Raven shuddered. The Grounder drew her other hand closer to Raven and opened her fist to reveal a silver necklace.

“This necklace was given to me by my parents before I left for Polis. I must have been six years old. You've noticed it's a moon. My father gave it to my mother as a gift at their wedding. It was his mother who gave it to him. When I was born, the moon symbol inspired them to call me Luna. I received it before Titus found me and brought me to Polis to begin my training. I have always thought that the story of this necklace is beautiful. The majority of my family and my ancestors received it from a person dear to them.”

Raven listened attentively to Luna's words and Luna opened the necklace before bringing it to Raven's neck. Raven widened her eyes and grabbed Luna's wrists.

"You want me to wear it?"

"I’m giving it to you, Raven.”

"I can't accept it.”

Luna sighed and while continuing to stare at Raven, she forced her hands to the other woman's neck. Raven dropped her hands and Luna tied the necklace. Once done, she grabbed both Raven’s hands.

"I want to continue this tradition. I brought it with me from Polis to Arkadia, because I wanted to offer it to you even if I believed that you might, in the worst case, die of your wounds. Now that you're safe and back with me, I still want to give it to you. You are the only person I feel good with and if I am sincere... I have a lot of affection for you.”

Raven was overwhelmed by her emotions. All the anxiety she felt, all the affection and love she wanted to share with Luna and all the fear in her condensed together and she began to cry. Her eyes were wet and a few tears escaped. Despite the tears, she smiled and Luna sighed with relief.

"Can I kiss you?" 

Raven nodded and Luna took a few seconds to wipe her wet cheeks before getting closer to the other face. One hand remained in Raven's while the other one rested on one cheek. Their kiss was delicate and not rushed. Their lips rested gently against each other and they only enjoyed the moment. Raven's free hand burrowed itself into Luna's curly hair, who was finally the first to move under the gesture. The hand in the hair had encouraged her and she bent her head to the side. She heard a sigh as she opened her lips to close them tightly against Raven's.

The two mouths remained glued together for another minute before Luna backed away to breathe. Her forehead leaned against Raven’s and she forced herself to keep her eyes closed. Raven gently stroked Luna's scalp who sighed with happiness under the sensation. This time, it was Raven who reconnected their lips in a slightly more passionate kiss. The kiss remained chaste, but she freed her hand from Luna's to grab her thigh. Her other hand grabbed a strand of hair and Luna couldn't help but moan. She didn’t expect these gestures from Raven, but she wouldn’t complain about it.

Her newly freed hand went up the other thigh to grab her waist and pull her as close to her as possible. Raven couldn't move too much, because she still had her seatbelt on, but she did her best to get close to Luna. 

She needed that closeness. 

Unlike Luna during their first kiss, Raven was able to loosen her belt without separating their mouths. Luna didn't know if Raven was aware of her gesture or not, but she felt her hand grow dangerously up her thigh. Despite the kiss, she felt the slightest touch coming from Raven. Every sensation were duplicating and her body was getting hotter within seconds. Luna didn't want their moment to become too  passionate and she grabbed Raven’s hand. Raven let out a strange noise that made Luna smile. The latter backed away and this time Raven growled. 

"Be careful where you put your hands," said Luna with a satisfied smile. 

Raven looked at her hand and her skin turned red. Luna drew their hand to her mouth to kiss it without leaving her stare from Raven’s.

“Thank you, Luna. For the necklace.”

Luna's smile grew and Raven took the necklace in her other hand to have a better look at it.

"I don’t take this gift lightly, because you’re a dear person to me too. Everything is new. Our relationship is new, the fact that I am with a woman is new and my feelings are new... But they're real.”

Luna nodded.

“Continue to live one day at a time, Raven.”

Raven let the necklace rest against her neck before grabbing Luna by the neck to kiss her again. The kiss was short and chaste. 

"Can I drive us back to Polis, now?"

“Yes, please.”

* * *

_ Trishanakru, three days earlier _

The people of  _ Trishanakru  _ were  gathering around the village fire to receive some information about the weekly meeting of Polis. They all knew that __ _ Floukru  _ had been decimated and that Luna was the only survivor. Each person was eager to receive the news, but what made it even more interesting for them was the presence of their ambassador, Gael. As an ambassador, he had to stay the longest in Polis. Normally, the ambassadors used messengers to send the information to the chiefs of each village, but this time, Gael had shown up in person. 

Children, adults and elders were waiting patiently and as the fire began to lose strength, Gael emerged from one of the tents. Each person stopped speaking and Gael stood in front of them. 

_ “You all know that my presence here today is not ordinary. I've heard a lot of rumours coming from you about the reasons I came here. I won't make you wait any longer. A few days ago, there was an important meeting about the death of  _ _ Floukru _ _ and the  _ _ Nightbloods _ _. Luna Kom  _ _ Floukru _ _ is the only survivor of her clan, as the sacred blood flows through her veins.  _ _ Heda _ _ told us that  _ _ Praimfaya _ _ was coming and that we were going to die.” _

The crowd began to whisper. The elders looked up at the sky, praying to the former commanders and the younger ones got closer to their parents. 

_ “Our beliefs are now stronger.  _ _ Heda _ _ and the  _ _ Nightbloods _ _ will survive Praimfaya. They will rise from our ashes to build civilization again.” _

People nodded.

_ “ _ _ Heda _ _ told us something.  _ _ Skaikru _ _ claims to be able to survive  _ _ Praimfaya _ _ , inside Arkadia.  _ _ Heda _ _ told us that each clan would have a place inside when  _ _ Praimfaya _ _ struck.” _

Some people frowned. Not all of them were happy to imagine sharing their environment with them and especially among a lot of technology. Nevertheless, many people smiled.

_ “ _ _ Heda _ _ personally told me that I would have my place as the ambassador. Unfortunately, not all of you will be able to come inside Arkadia when the time comes. The situation is the same for each clan, even for Skaikru. We will all have to make a choice. To choose the people who will survive. I don't know how many people will be able to follow me yet, but I will make my choice for the survival of our clan.” _

Once making sure his people had understood what he had said, Gael left to return to his tent. He knew that people needed to digest the news and he wanted to answer questions after they could think properly. 

People began to talk together, speculating on Gael's possible choices and about Nightblood. 

Two people stayed away from the others, preferring to head to the edge of the village while whispering among themselves.

" We  _ have _ _ to go to Polis,"  _ whispered the woman.

The man looked at her from the corner of his eye. 

_ “We won’t be welcome. You know as well as I do that almost no one from  _ _ Azgeda _ _ goes to Polis without being harassed. We are easily recognizable.” _

He pointed to his face where two scars marked his forehead and cheek. The woman growled.

_ “It doesn't matter. Fourteen years we've been with  _ _ Trishanakru _ _ now. We have adopted their laws, their values and their traditions. We dress like them. Nia would be ashamed of us, but we did everything we could to survive. I will not let  _ _ Praimfaya _ _ take all these efforts away from us.” _

The couple was already far from the others. The man chose not to answer and they walked to the trees where a few fluorescent butterflies were resting.

_ "You know as well as I do that our chance to survive is in Polis.” _

The man swept the butterflies with his hand. They all began to fly and he leaned against the tree trunk by crossing his arms.

_ “Do  _ _ you want to go talk to  _ _ Heda _ _? _

_ "No. With her son, Rami.” _

Rami understood his wife's plan and raised an eyebrow.

“ _ Y _ _ ou think we'll be able to talk to him? _

_ "Of course I do. He's still a child.”  _

_ "We never wanted him,  _ _ Sof _ _. I don't want him in our lives now. Especially since he shares the values of  _ _ Trikru _ _ and  _ _ Skaikru _ _.” _

_ “I'm not interested in him either. I am interested in survival.” _

Rami nodded. He understood his wife's plan, but he had his own doubts.

_ “We were never 100 percent sure that it was him. He wouldn't know it any more than we did. He was barely a month old.” _

_ "I'm telling you, it's him. I saw him once, while he was visiting the clan. He's got the mark.”  _

The man raised an eyebrow pointing at his elbow and Sof nodded.

_ “We must seize this opportunity. When  _ _ Praimfaya _ _ strikes, I want my place in Arkadia.” _

_ “Get close to the boy and thus, plead our cause directly to Heda and Jovaheda.” _

The couple stared at each other and Rami grabbed his wife's hand. 

_ “The trip is more than three days walk. We will have to leave at dawn tomorrow.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter today, but the Christmas holidays have me busy. Despite Covid, I still need to buy gifts for my GF and my family and I need to give them to them because I can't celebrate due to restrictions :(
> 
> I hope you have a better Christmas than I and I wish you a Merry Christmas!! I love you all!


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa has an important meeting about the black rain's casualties on Trikru. A cute moment between some characters and Callum meets someone...
> 
> *Dialogues in Italics are in Gounder language*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I hope you all had a beautiful Christmas and that you could somehow see your families or your loved ones :) 
> 
> Rest well before New Year's Eve because, f*ck 2020 and let's welcome 2021!

Clarke and Lexa's conversation was interrupted by two knocks on the front door of their house. The family was eating breakfast and chatting together but they all frowned when they heard the noise. Clarke raised an eyebrow while bringing her steaming cup of tea to her mouth.

"Were you waiting for someone?" 

Lexa nodded negatively. She wiped her mouth with a piece of cloth before getting up to walk toward the door. Clarke looked at her before turning her attention to her son who had resumed eating his eggs.

“Cal.”

“Humm?” 

Callum looked up from his plate to look at Clarke. He was enjoying his breakfast with appetite and he waited for his mother to continue her sentence. Clarke was sitting in front of him and she held out her arm to grab his face. She frowned before widening her eyes.

"Oh my God...” she whispered.

Callum frowned and recoiled his face to touch it.

"What?”

Clarke brought her hand to her mouth.

“You have a little mustache.”

Callum looked at her in disbelief, but still, he smiled.

"I know, mom. I have hairs on my armpits and everywhere else too.” 

"I'm not ready... Your voice’s getter deeper too and I can't imagine you growing two inches in your sleep yet.”

“It’s physically impossible to grow two inches in one night.”

Clarke rolled her eyes.

“Stop doing your Lexa. You know exactly what I meant.”

Callum laughed, but none of them added anything as they began to hear Lexa's conversation. After opening the door, she had found out who had  come to talk with her.

Indra.

"I'm sorry to bother you,  _ Heda _ _ , _ but I've heard from Trikru. About 30 people died from black rain two days ago. Other wounded people died by then, raising the total to sixty-two people. Many people suffer from minor injuries, but we now know that seven people are in a more serious situation.”

Lexa tightened her jaw. She knew that the numbers wouldn’t be fun to hear. 

“Thanks for the information, Indra. You're effective as always. Update  Trikru's ambassador and prepare him for an emergency meeting in the tower in 20 minutes. If possible, I want all the village chiefs present in Polis to be there as well.” 

Indra nodded.

“I’ll make sure to communicate with Arkadia before the meeting,” added Lexa.

"Of course,  _ Heda _ _. _ I also wanted to inform you that all the  _ Nightbloods  _ left at dawn with Gaia and three guards. Aden has the radio and he'll us as soon as they get here.”

"Thank you.”

Indra left for the  Trikru embassy house after her usual tilt of head. Lexa closed the door before returning to the dining room. Clarke and Callum started eating again, but Lexa raised an eyebrow. She knew very well that they had listened to her conversation.

"Hypocrites," she said as she sat down.

Clarke hid her smile behind her cup and Callum stared at his plate as if the secret to preventing  Praimfaya was hidden in it.

"Are you okay, Cal?”

The young man finally looked up.

“Sixty-two people... That's a lot.”

"These are inevitable deaths. It's sad for their families, but it's still inevitable.”

He nodded to Lexa's words.

"I know...”

"Your mother is right, Cal," continued Clarke. “It’s an unfortunate event, but it comes from a natural event. There have already been more deaths caused by wars...”

Lexa raised an eyebrow.

“Like three hundred warriors.”

Clarke opened her mouth before hitting her wife on the arm. Callum regained his smile and Lexa rapidly ate her breakfast in two bites.

"I’ll go to the meeting," she said, rising from the table. “I'll see you later.”

She left the dining room for her bedroom, where her commander outfit was. Clarke took the time to finish her plate with his son.

"What are you doing today?"

“I would like to be present at the meeting...”

Clarke sighed.

"I think you need to step back from official meetings. I have never been against your presence at meetings, but I think that you are putting yourself more and more in a role that doesn’t suit you. Not at the moment, at least. You're only fourteen years old and you're putting a lot on your shoulders.”

Callum dropped his fork on his plate and he got up to put the object in the sink. 

“I will train with aunt Octavia and the twins.”

"Are you mad at me?"

Callum was walking to his bedroom, but when he heard his mother's question, he stopped to look at her.

"No, I’m not. Have a nice day.”

Clarke had a little smile.

"I love you," she added.

"I love you too.”

* * *

Lexa was already sitting on her throne when Indra and the other  Trikru's chiefs entered. She was happy to be there before them. Not only had the moment of loneliness allowed her to think about several possibilities, but she appreciated being  punctual in front of her subjects.

They bowed before her, once they were standing at a respectable distance from their Commander. Lexa adorned the piece of metal between her eyes, but no war paint was present. It wasn’t appropriate for a formal but personal meeting. Lexa uncrossed her legs and her hands rested on the arms rests. 

_ " _ _ Heda _ _ ," _ they all said together.

Lexa looked at them one by one. Indra, chief of Tondc, was present. The Trikru's ambassador, Manu, was standing to her left. Three other chiefs who had travelled to Polis after the black rain were standing in front of Lexa. Two other men, Levy and Will, and a woman, Elena. Lexa nodded at them.

_ “Indra informed me of the latest developments following the black rain. First of all, I would like to offer my sincere sympathies. As a  _ _ Trikru _ _ member myself, I don't take their deaths lightly.” _

_ "Thank you,  _ _ Heda _ ," said Manu. _ “We are worried and torn. We know and respect your decision to send the  _ _ Nightbloods _ _ to  _ _ Skaikru _ _ to give their sacred blood, but... We don’t know if we want this treatment for our people.” _

_ “These young people and you are living proof of our beliefs. We simply cannot accept the fact that anyone can have this gift in their veins.” _

_ "It's only temporary," _ added Lexa.

_ "We know,  _ _ Heda _ _ , _ " replied Elena. “ _ Skaikru _ _ has only been here for a few years now-” _

_ “Fifteen years. I find that more than a few years.” _

Elena pinched her lips for a few seconds.

_ "Forgive me,  _ _ Heda _ _. Despite their time here, they don’t understand how much our ways of doing things have allowed us to survive. They don't know or even, they don't care about stealing the blood of the Nightbloods.” _

_ “When I was recovering in Arkadia, Chancellor Abby was more than respectful of our beliefs and  _ _ nightblood _ _. She wouldn’t have had a transfusion without my consent. I would also like to let you know that my son, Callum, who grew up in our culture here in Polis, was the first to raise the idea of a transfusion to save us. To save _ you  _ eventually.” _

Lexa got up and walked toward the balcony. She remained inside, but she already felt the light breeze caressing her face. With her hands behind her back, she waited for someone to speak.

_ “ _ _ Heda _ _ , there are three wounded people in  _ _ Tondc _ _ who are still alive. They are suffering and they aren’t wounded enough to push aside the treatment. I believe they should receive it.” _

Lexa turned to her army chief. 

_ “These three people are less than nine years old. I know them personally and I would like them to benefit from the treatment.” _

Lexa offered Indra a slight nod.

_ “Contact  _ _ Tondc _ _ as soon as possible. Organizes their transport to Arkadia before noon.” _

Indra nodded and Lexa looked at the other chiefs.

_ “I respect your decisions. In five months, almost all of the people on Earth will die. You choose not to postpone their deaths and I understand. Return to your villages and offer them the most beautiful of death. That's all I'm asking of you.” _

They nodded. Lexa honestly understood their logic and she respected their beliefs, but she was still sad for these people. These chiefs had made the decision on their own without asking the wounded what they would like. 

_ “Thank you for your time, Heda.” _

She looked at Levy, who offered her a sincere smile. They were all proud that the Commander who lived and reigned the longest was  Trikru . Lexa was a living Goddess in their eyes. 

" _ You’re free to go.” _

After a second tilt of the head, Indra and the others left the room and the guards closed the door behind them. Lexa found herself alone, once more, and at last, she went on the balcony. Her forearms leaned on the railing. At this height, she had an overview of the entirety of Polis. She recognized every street and every market, even at that distance. She saw the horses grazing right next to the capital's limits. 

Her gaze travelled every corner of her city before falling on the training ground. The place was empty, but she saw four people, as small as ants, enter. Her gaze dragged on them before remembering that Abby was waiting for news of the meeting. Lexa had called her by radio to inform her of the latest information reported by Indra. Lexa wanted to make sure that Abby could be ready to take in more injured people and that she could offer them treatment. 

The commander returned to her throne where she took the radio. 

“Abby? It’s Lexa.”

A sizzle echoed in her ears. She started tapping her foot waiting for a response.

_ “Lexa. It's Abby. How was your meeting?” _

"It didn't go as I expected. The  Trikru Ambassador and the chiefs agreed on one point: they cannot accept that  nightblood is offered to other people. Indra is the only one who accepts. She will send three young children to Arkadia. They'll be there in the afternoon.” 

_ “I will notify the guards of their arrival. They will be taken care of in the utmost care. After our discussion this morning, two more people died. Their bodies could no longer bear all the wounds and their hearts failed.” _

“I'm sorry to hear this news... But thank you for welcoming these three children. I wish you the best.”

" _ I appreciate it.” _

The two women greeted each other and Lexa left the room for the stable. She wanted to change her mind

* * *

“Who are you going to train with first?”

Callum looked at Aurora to his left. Irene was to his right and Octavia was walking in front of them. Aurora waited patiently for his answer, but her right eyebrow was arched.

"You two at the same time," said Callum. “Only one of you would be too easy.”

Callum was joking and the two sisters knew it, but after a quick glance between them, Aurora put her foot in front of Callum. He fell face first on the ground. He growled, while Aurora and Irene high five.

“That’s for continually making fun of us.”

Octavia had turned and had crossed her arms. A few passers-by whispered when they saw Lexa's son on the ground.

“Try not to put him out of combat before we even start training, girls.”

Callum stood up and swept the dust off of his clothes while bearing a smile.

"Don't worry, Aunt O. If they do that, it's because they know that the only way they can beat me is if I'm hurt.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow and Callum started to walk again. The girls followed him, not without rolling their eyes. 

"The first one to aim the middle of the target with an arc trains with Callum and the one who loses trains with me," said Octavia, as they arrived at the field. 

The twins exchanged a competitive look. They loved challenges, but the two sisters preferred to train with their cousin rather than their mother. Octavia was fierce, even with her daughters. The twins went to equip themselves, while Octavia and Callum leaned on the fence delimiting the ground.

Irene was the first to shoot since she was the eldest. That was the argument she always used when they had to do something. Her body was perpendicular to the target, her arms were in a position she considered perfect. The arrow touched her nose and she stared at the target. After an umpteenth breath, she fired. The arrow hit two centimetres near the red target. 

She growled, as her mother applauded.

"That's good, Irene.”

"Let me show you how to shoot with a bow," said Aurora.

Irene narrowed her eyes as she put the bow in her sister's hands. She passed by her, not without a rubbing of her arms, before going a few steps further. Aurora took a stand. The rope was as tight as possible and after two breaths, her right hand released the rope. The arrow penetrated the edge of the red target. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to beat her sister whose arrow was a few millimetres to the right. Aurora uttered a cry of victory as Irene pouted.

"Better luck next time," said her sister. 

Octavia applauded her daughters. 

“These are two beautiful shots. Be proud of yourselves.”

After a few arguments between them, the twins took their weapons to begin their training. Octavia and Irene were near the entrance to the field and Callum and Aurora were at the other end. 

Luna and Raven were walking side by side. After sharing their breakfast at Luna's, they had gone to the library. The unease and guilt between them had dissipated. After their return to Polis the day before, they had exchanged even more about their feelings. The discussion had left Raven drained of energy. She had never talked so much about her emotions before. Despite everything, she felt proud. Luna had assured her that she should be. After their discussion, they had fallen asleep together, in the grounder's bed.

Luna hit Raven's arm who turned her head to look at her. Luna pointed her chin at the training ground a few meters from them. Raven smiled when she saw the twins, Callum and Octavia. Despite the fact that Octavia lived in Trikru on Polis territory, she was still a great friend of Raven's. The two women did not see each other as often as they wished, but their friendship was still intact.

As Luna and Raven came close to the limits of the training ground, Callum hit Aurora with all his  strength . His false sword met his cousin's who lost her balance. Her back met the ground. 

"Come on, Aurora! Get up!”

The girl coughed and growled. She recognized the voice, but she took her time to get up.

"You didn't hold back on  strength , Cal.”

Callum shrugged his shoulders wielding his sword.

"I never do.”

Aurora turned her head. Raven and Luna were leaning on the fence demarcating the land. She smiled when she saw them and picked up her sword from the ground before joining them. 

“Aunt Raven! I'm so glad you're okay. Mom told us everything.”

Raven had a tender smile. 

"Of course your mother told you about it. You should thank Luna. It's because of her that I'm standing in front of you.”

Aurora turned her gaze to Luna. She looked at her with admiration.

“It's not just because of me, Raven.”

“You should come home tonight. Mom keeps telling dad how bored she is.” 

Raven raised an eyebrow. She looked up to look at Octavia, who was still training with Irene.

“O!'”

The mother and daughter stopped their fight when they heard Raven's voice. Octavia saw her two friends for the first time and they headed toward the two women. Callum returned to the fake weapons to change his sword for a stick. 

“What are you doing here?”

"We came to watch you get your ass kicked by your two daughters, of course.” deadpanned Raven.

Octavia rolled her eyes while smiling. 

"Aurora was telling me that you cried at night because you missed me.”

Octavia laughed, knowing all too well that Raven was joking. Aurora opened her mouth to protest.

“That's not true!”

Luna laughed. She thought Raven was kind of funny.

"It's not okay to lie, Aurora. She also invited us to dinner tonight. We'll bring the wine.”

"”We" like you and Luna?" asked Octavia pointing both of them.

“Of course.”

Octavia raised an eyebrow, nodding.

“You are welcome to eat if you actually bring the wine.”

"You can count on us," added Luna. “Thank you, Aurora for inviting us.”

The girl smiled and at the other end of the field, Callum was still training alone. 

"Excuse me.”

Callum stopped wielding his stick. He turned slightly to the source of the voice. A woman was looking at him, on the other side of the fence. She was wearing a dark green cape with a hood that rested on her head. The woman was dressed in black leather.

"I'm hurt.”

Earing this, Callum dropped his stick to join her. The woman was holding her hand and he saw blood flowing between her fingers. 

"What happened to you?" he asked, as he took a piece of cloth out of his pocket. 

He was now facing the woman who pushed her head backwards to remove her hood. Callum recognized two things as soon as he could see the face. He recognized the Trishanakru clan's tattoo on the side of her neck first before noticing the scars on each side of her eyes.

He knew too well that the woman was an old  Azgeda now a member of  Trishanakru . Despite his initial surprise, he put all judgment aside. He was barely a month old during Queen Nia's war against his mothers. He could not judge the former  Azgeda members for the actions of their former Queen. 

He gave her the tissue that she placed on the wound on her hand.

"I'm clumsy. I'm not used to carrying a knife on me and I cut myself. It's silly, I know.”

“Don't worry. I'm not judging you. Do you know where the medical clinic is?”

“No, I've rarely come to Polis.”

"I'll walk with you there.”

The woman offered him a smile and Callum took a few steps backwards before turning to the girls.

"Octavia!”

Octavia turned to him and put her hand on her forehead to shelter her eyes from the sun.

“Cal?”

“I'll walk with this woman to the clinic. I will be back in ten minutes.”

Octavia raised her thumb as a sign of understanding and Callum returned to the woman.

“Continue to apply pressure on the wound.”

She nodded and followed Callum through the streets of the city.

"Thank you, young man.”

"My name is Callum.”

"I’m  Sof ... Callum... Are you  Heda's son?”

Callum saw that she was looking at him intensely. He nodded and  Sof stopped walking to bow her head before him.

"I'm delighted to meet you.”

"Don't do that. It’s not necessary.”

She raised her head.

“I'm sorry.”

"No problem.”

They started walking again. 

“My mother is at the clinic right now. She will treat you in the best care.”

"I have no doubt about it... You seem very well educated. Your mothers did a good job.”

Callum had a sincere smile.

"They still do a great job. They're great.”

"It must not be easy growing up with  Heda as a mother.” 

Callum shrugged. 

“She has always been present in my life. I couldn't have asked for more from her.”

Sof nodded.

“My husband and I lost our child.”

Callum offered her a friendly smile.

"You've certainly noticed my scars. A boy as well educated by  Heda as you could not have missed them. We lost our son fourteen years ago.  Kongeda's army didn't want to wait and we left our house without him. I believe someone picked him up.”

Callum frowned.

"We think of him every day.”

Sof looked at Callum from the corner of her eye. He was still walking, but his gaze was staring at the ground in front of them.  Sof had a little smile on her face.

“Callum?”

He raised his head. Clarke was further in front of him. She had just left the clinic and had immediately seen her son. Callum and  Sof accelerated their steps and Clarke met them halfway. She had her eyebrow raised when she saw him walking with a woman she thought was in her early forties. 

"What happened?" asked Clarke, pointing to the blood-soaked tissue.

Sof let Clarke take her hand to remove the fabric.

"I'm clumsy and I cut myself with my knife. Your son has been kind enough to walk with me.”

Clarke offered Callum a smile.

"That's nice, Cal.”

He nodded. 

“I'm going back to training. Be careful next time, Sof.”

The woman nodded and Callum left them. 

"Follow me inside.”

Clarke was already returning to the clinic and  Sof looked at her for a few seconds before following her with a slight grin.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of a filling chapter today but still, it introduces the return of an object. 
> 
> Clarke and Sof talk, Luna has a friendly fight and a glimpse at Arkadia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hard chapter to write since I lack inspiration. I'm sorry, I'm doing the best I can.
> 
> *If anyone wants to beta me with the English grammar, dm me or leave a comment!* :)

Clarke was applying the stitches in  Sof's hand who was remaining quiet, trying to control the pain. The two women hadn't talk yet, but in reality, Clarke was trying not to ask questions. She tried not to have judgments about  Sof , but every time she would take a look at her face, visibly identified as  Azgeda , she would feel uncomfortable. It mostly reminded her of bad memories.

Sof was feeling the lingering gaze Clarke was giving her. She was almost amused by the situation. For her part, she was taking advantage of the silence to examine the mother of her biological son. Her  husband and she had never met Clarke before. She knew that if they were to plead their case to Clarke and Lexa, she and Rami would need to know them a lot more than they did now.

“Your son is a very charming and watchful young man.” 

Clarke looked at  Sof for a few seconds. The comment made her smiled.

"Thank you," she replied. “Callum has always wanted to help others. It doesn't matter who they are to him.”

“Even a former member of  Azgeda .”

Clarke cut the last stitch, without answering.

"I know you're uncomfortable. What Queen Nia and Prince Roan did doesn’t represent what all the people of  Azgeda wanted.”

Clarke put her things away, but she could feel  Sof's heavy gaze on her profile.

"You're right," said Clarke. “It’s not representative of the population. Even so,  Heda and I almost died because the Queen wanted power.”

"I apologize.”

There was a pause in which Clarke sighed.

"No, I'm the one who should  apologize ," said Clarke.

She wiped her forehead and leaned against the table behind her to face the other women. She took a good look at her, trying to decide which type of woman she was.

“A friend of mine is a former  Azgeda spy,” she finally said. “I don't make judgments... After all, we adopted Callum from this clan.” 

It was no secret. As soon as they adopted their son, the entire Coalition wanted to know everything about the reasons why their Commander became a mother. Lexa was only the second Commander to have a family. It wasn’t common for them to even have a wife or a husband and all the Coalition wanted answers.

They wanted to find out where the boy came from because Clarke and Lexa couldn't be pregnant from each other. Lexa had always been transparent about Callum's origins. Callum had satisfied his curiosity by discussing  Azgeda with his mothers and, above all, by sharing moments with Echo. She was the best person to share facts and memories with Callum. The boy knew the reputation of the clan, their values, their strengths and weaknesses and above all, the reasons that led  Azgeda to its fall.

Clarke’s answer made  Sof narrow her eyes. She did not expect Clarke herself to talk about Callum's origin. She knew that  Jovaheda was an intuitive and smart woman and that if she showed her cards too quickly, Clarke would make the connections before  Sof and Rami could even talk to Callum.

"That's right,"  Sof finally replied. “But your son is as much  Trikru than he is  Skaikru .” 

She got up and  Clarke leaned  straighter . 

“Thank you for your hospitality, Jovaheda. And thank your son for me.”

Clarke nodded.

"I will.”

Sof left the clinic leaving behind a thoughtful Clarke.

* * *

"Do you want to have a little friendly fight against me?" 

Luna raised an eyebrow, while Octavia wielded her false sword, waiting for the answer. Luna had rarely fought after leaving her conclave years before. She had continued to train every day, knowing how important it was in this world to know how to protect yourself. Still, she hadn’t been in a real fight for years. 

"I don't know...”

"Come on, Luna," exclaimed Raven, visibly excited to see Luna fight. “I'm curious to see how you’ll do.”

Raven smiled at her, but her eyes were filled with malice. Luna's eyebrow raised.

"You’re excited to see me fight?"

Raven nodded and she stepped closer to whisper in her ear.

“To be honest, it turns me on a little to imagine you fighting.”

She recoiled and Luna had goosebumps. She didn’t know if it was the words whispered to her ear or just the hot breath against her skin, but she blinked several times. Just knowing that Raven could be turned on because of her made her turned on too. She felt the familiar tingle between her leg and she had the impression that Raven, Octavia and even the twins knew. 

"So what?"

Octavia’s question brought her back to reality and after a little sigh, she jumped over the fence.

“Impressive.” 

She ignored Raven's comment to focus on Octavia.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" 

Octavia raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I would like to know the fighting legend that is Luna Kom Floukru.”

Luna smiled and went to the armaments to take a spear. The twins stayed next to Raven, who looked at Luna carefully. The Grounder took off her jacket to be in leather pants and leather sports top. She  wielded her false spear for a few seconds, taking time to adjust to its weight and length. Raven looked at her with envy. In these clothes and with this attitude, she thought Luna was more than sexy.

Luna was still wielding her spear when Octavia ran towards her. The young woman was not afraid to get her hands dirty to succeed in a fight. Luna, still possessing her intensive  Nightblood training reflexes, dodged the attack with success and ease. She deflected the sword with the first end of the spear just before using the other end to hit the back of her opponent who almost fell to the ground. 

"You can always give up.”

Octavia laughed.

"It didn't even cross my mind.”

Octavia charged again. A series of blows and kicks ensued. Sword versus spear. Luna was only avoiding and thwarting the blows against her. Octavia was more and more out of breath, but she soon realized that Luna would not attack anytime soon. She was an experienced warrior too, and she stopped her attacks. Luna smiled. She did not think Octavia would immediately understand. Nevertheless, she saw her out of breath and took the opportunity to make her first attack. She used her spear to kick Octavia’s legs. She jumped at the right time, but Luna, who knew it would be her reflex, brought her spear back to the brunette's body. She hit her on the thigh. 

It wasn't a big hit. She didn't want to hurt her, but it was enough to make Octavia swear. She fell on both feet and she barely avoided another attack from Luna. After a series of blows, Luna found herself with her back to Octavia who hurried to grab her by the neck. Luna did not wait to reply. She struck Octavia at the side with her elbow before grabbing both arms around her neck. She gathered her strength and lifted her feet off the ground to bring her body forward. Octavia, who held her with too much strength, followed her in her movement. Luna fell back on her feet, pulling Octavia towards her. The warrior landed on her back, in front of Luna.

Raven and the twins let out a surprised cry. Luna grabbed her spear and pointed it at Octavia, who was coughing after she had swallowed dirt after being thrown to the ground. 

"Damn...," she murmured. 

Raven walked to the entrance of the field. She didn't want to make her life difficult by trying to get over the fence. Luna reached out to Octavia, who grabbed her hand with a smile. 

"You're good.”

“Ten years of intensive training.”

They shook hands and Raven entered the arena. The twins noticed Callum's return and went to find him. 

“You impressed me, Luna.”

She looked at Raven and a smile  automatically appeared on her face. 

“You're not in too much pain, O'?”

"No, I'm fine. Your girlfriend held  back, I think.”

The word had come out of her mouth before she could even stop it. Raven and Octavia stared stupidly at each other and Luna, after rolling her eyes, approached Raven to grab her waist. 

“Effectively. Are you still inviting us over for dinner?”

Octavia cleared her throat and Raven stared at the ground. Nevertheless, she got closer to Luna and she felt her hand tighten her waist. 

"Yes, don't worry. The twins will blame me for days if I don’t.” 

They laughed and after a few congratulations and a few jokes, they resumed their training. Even Luna and Raven got into it.

"You really want to teach me how to fight?" 

"Why not? I'm sure you're full of potential.”

Raven smiled, but she looked at her left leg. Luna quickly noticed it and she approached to raise her head, her hand under her chin.

“Your leg is not a handicap.”

Raven raised an eyebrow.

“We don't have the same definition of a disability.”

Luna sighed.

“What I mean is... It won't stop you from defending yourself. To avoid blows. You always have three out of four functional members... And even that.”

She said the last words by touching her head, on her hair. She was talking specifically about her brain and intelligence. Raven nodded and Luna kissed her cheek.

“Stop imposing your own barriers on yourself.”

" Nightblood training 101," replied Raven and Luna couldn’t help but laugh.

* * *

The sun was at its highest height in the sky and the temperature was only getting hotter by the minute. 

Lexa knew it was noon. 

While she was on the back of her horse to return to Polis, Lexa was thinking about the future. Despite all the sacrifices and deaths, there would be, she believed there was something positive in all this. Thanks to her son's idea and Abby's knowledge, everyone knew they could be cured with the Natblitas’ blood. Each clan would have its place in Arkadia. She had ensured everyone's prosperity. She was proud of her decision.

_ “Heda?” _

She pulled the horse’s reins before she took the radio from the saddle. 

“Gaia?”

_ “Yes,  _ _ Heda _ _. We have now been in Arkadia for a few minutes. The Chancellor has given us a warm welcome. The  _ _ Nightbloods _ _ were escorted to the infirmary by James and the Chancellor. Marcus Kane and some  _ _ Skaikru _ _ guards are helping our warriors set up tents and some utilities. Everything's going well.” _

Lexa happily sighed.

“What about  Tondc's children? Have they arrived yet?

_ “They have not yet arrived, but we will pay special attention to them once they do. I will go with the  _ _ Natblita _ _ to ensure they respect them and to be sure the blood transfusion is doing as they planned.”  _

“I trust Abby, Gaia. I expect you to do the same.”

_ “Of course,  _ _ Heda _ _. I'll communicate with you as soon as  _ _ Tondc's _ _ children arrive.”  _

_ " _ Thank you, Gaia.”

She put away the radio, relieved that, for now, everything is going well in Arkadia. She returned to Polis and within 15 minutes she was already on her way to the tower. 

* * *

It was already dinner time in Polis and Luna's house was full of life. Raven and Octavia were chatting in the living room while the twins were playing chess near the two women. Lincoln and Luna, longtime old friends, were making up for the lost time. 

On the other side of the capital, the little family was playing a game of cards. They had eaten their dinner and after tidying up, Clarke had offered to play a game of cards. Callum has always loved board games and Lexa could skip the chance of winning against them.

The atmosphere was jovial. Clarke and Lexa were nicely bickering with each other and Callum was having fun watching them and fueling their bickering by placing some comments at the right time.

"You can't  _ always win _ , Lexa. It's statistically impossible with this game.”

Lexa raised an eyebrow.

“ Watch me, Clarke.” 

"If mom wins again, it will be her fifth win in a row," said Callum. 

Clarke and Lexa stared at each other. It was Clarke's turn to play and she laid one card. There were only two left in her hand and she looked for a moment at the last card held by her wife. Slowly, Lexa put her card on the living room table. 

"NO!”

Lexa smiled proudly as Clarke threw her two cards on the table. Callum laughed and after sharing a look with his mother, he clapped her hand.

"I can't believe it. Did you cheat?”

"I can't even believe you're asking me this question, Clarke. I thought you were different,” said Lexa with all the seriousness of the world. 

Clarke rolled her eyes.

“I can’t believe you.”

"I'm very disappointed in you, Clarke.”

“Stop it!”

"She’s right, mom.  _ Nomon _ is simply a great player of  Won  _ (Uno).” _

Callum got up and disappeared into the bathroom. Clarke continued to look at her wife with a suspicious eye.

"Stop it, my love," sighed Lexa, getting closer to her.

She kissed her softly. Clarke did not move and Lexa continued to lay kisses on her face. Clarke stopped ignoring her and she grabbed her face and kissed her passionately. 

“The winner has to pick up the cards."

With these words, Clarke rose from the ground to go into the kitchen.

"I'm going to pour us some wine while you're cleaning the table.” 

Lexa watched her leave before collecting the cards. The deck of cards was Callum's and she went to his room to put it away. She entered the bedroom and went to her son's shelf. Her gaze dragged curiously on the shelves and suddenly her body stiffened.

“Lexa, we're waiting for you in the living room for the next game.” 

Lexa took the object that had taken her by surprise and left the room for the living room. Clarke and Callum were laughing, but Lexa was more than serious.

"Sit down, Lex.”

“Callum. Where did you get this?”

She stretched out the object and he widened his eyes under the serious tone of his mother. Clarke frowned. She had already seen this pyramid symbol somewhere, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"You're going to tell me everything.”

* * *

_ Arkadia _

“How are you feeling?”

Abby had left the Alpha Station to collect new data on the health of the  Nightbloods . They were with Gaia and the three  Trikru warriors at their  encampment inside the walls of Arkadia. The tents were set up and their meals were cooking on their campfire. Monty had offered them his homemade liquor and the older  Nightbloods were drinking heavily. Abby had advised them not to drink it so as to not be dehydrated, but the Grounders had ignored her comment.

"Personally, I'm fine, Dr. Griffin.”

Abby nodded.

"It's reassuring. After trying it out with Luna, I was sure that everything would be fine for all of you.”

“According to Heda, you are an excellent doctor and we must trust you.”

"I appreciate it.”

She looked around and sighed.

“Still, I would appreciate it if you could ask your friends to limit the amount of alcohol they drink. You gave a lot of blood and it won’t do you any good to drink that much.”

Aden shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no authority over them.”

Despite his answer, he quietly pointed to Gaia. Abby offered him a smile before going to join the flame keeper. Gaia was talking to a younger Natblita, but she stopped talking when Abby walked in front of her.

"Good evening, Chancellor," she said, putting her hands behind her back.

“Good evening, Gaia. Aden told me that you were the one with authority over the Nightbloods.”

She nodded.

“They must be careful with how much they drink alcohol if they want to recover well. They need to drink plenty of water and to rest.”

"I'll get the message out to them.”

The two women looked at each other in silence for a few moments.

"I want to thank you for coming here to help.”

“Personally, it would not have been my choice. Still, I respect my Commander's decisions.”

Abby pinched her lips. 

"I understand... Despite our differences, we will have to survive together in a few weeks. We might as well agree on as many things as possible.”

“We might...”

“I'll go check on the others...”

Gaia nodded and Abby turned to walk to the older Nightbloods. Gaia stared at her, her mind racing with questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *If anyone wants to beta me with the English grammar, dm me or leave a comment!* :)


End file.
